This inspection took place on 25 November 2016 and was announced. Hobbits Halt provides accommodation for seven people who require personal care. There were seven people were living in the home at the time of our inspection. The home provided personal care and support for people with learning disabilities.

Hobbits Holt is set in a quiet residential area. It had two lounges and a kitchen/dining room area, and seven bedrooms set across two floors. People could freely move around the home and had access to a secure and private back garden.

A new manager had been appointed. They were in process of applying to be the registered manager which is required by the homes conditions of registration. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the service is run.

People who lived at Hobbits Holt required various levels of support. Some people were independent in their personal care, managing their medicines and activities in the community, whilst others needed full support from staff.

People felt safe living at the home. They were treated with kindness and compassion in their day-to-day care. Relatives complimented the caring nature and approach of staff. Staff were knowledgeable about people’s risks and were aware of their responsibilities to report any accident, incidents or safeguarding concerns. They showed concern for people’s wellbeing in a caring and meaningful way and responded to their needs quickly.

People were encouraged to explore new opportunities and enjoy a variety of activities in the home and community. People enjoyed planning and going on holiday together with the support of staff. There were adequate numbers of staff to respond to people’s needs. Staff employment and criminal backgrounds had been suitably checked before they were allowed to work with people. Staff told us they felt trained and supported to carry out their role effectively, however not all staff had received private supervision meetings in line with the provider’s policy. Observations of staff knowledge and competencies had not always been recorded.

People’s had been involved in planning their support needs. Staff were in the progress of updating everyone’s care plans with them to ensure their care plans reflected their needs. Staff understood the importance in providing choices to people and acting in people’s best interests. However people’s mental capacity assessments had not always been reviewed to reflect people’s needs. We were told this would be addressed when people’s care plans were updated.

People enjoyed a varied and healthy diet. They were encouraged to contribute towards the planning, shopping and preparation of their meals. People’s care records showed relevant health and social care professionals were involved with people’s care. Effective systems were in place to ensure that people received their prescribed medicines on time.

People’s day to day concerns and issues were addressed immediately. Relatives felt confident in the management and the running of the home. The managers and provider monitored the quality of the service provided by carrying our regular checks.

At this inspection we also followed up on a compliance action issued on 13 September 2012. We found that this compliance action had been met as people’s care records had been updated and archived. This meant that information available to staff about people’s care needs was up to date and easy to follow.

People met regularly with a staff member who worked closely with them to review their care. One person said, “You put your point, what you think and what you want to do”. Another said, “Staff listen to me”.

Staff worked effectively in cooperation with a range of other providers. This included support given to one person during a recent medical emergency and during their subsequent hospital stay and recovery.

Appropriate arrangements were in place in relation to the recording and storage of medicine. When people were able, they were supported by staff to become more independent in managing their medicines. One person told us they were quite happy about this and said, “They are always here to check”.

Staff received appropriate training and supervision. A staff member said, I’m very lucky to work in a place like this, I absolutely love my job”. Staff felt supported and were confident that any concerns would be dealt with effectively by the manager.

In this report the name of a manager appears who was not managing this location at the time of the inspection. We have advised the provider of what they need to do to remove the individual's name from our register.

The people we spoke with were happy with the care they received at Hobbits Holt. They did not express any concerns about standards of care. They told us that they were supported to understand the care or treatment they required. People had access to a range of activities, equal access to health care and they were part of the local community. They were involved in day to day chores within the home and told us they were satisfied with cleanliness there. There were enough staff available to meet their needs.

People told us that they like living at the home, that they are happy and feel safe there. We received comments such as "the staff are very nice" and "staff take us out and look after us. They help you if you're stuck". One person told us that "the staff know how to look after us".

Staff that we spoke to told us they were happy in their roles. One told us "I love working here". One member of staff said " I was impressed by the amount of training we had before they let us loose. I felt invested in as a new member of staff".