The inspection took place on 26 September 2016 and was announced. The service was previously inspected on 19 September 2013 when we found the service was fully compliant with all regulations covered in the inspection. During this inspection we found no breaches of regulations and we found people received a good service.

The service is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for the provision of personal care in people’s own homes. This includes assistance or prompting with washing, toileting, dressing, eating and drinking. We call this type of service a ‘supported living’ service. In a supported living service, people’s accommodation is provided by separate housing providers or landlords, usually on a rental or lease arrangement. This means people can choose an alternative support service provider if they wish.

The service provided support to younger adults with learning disability, autistic spectrum disorder, sensory impairment and physical disability .Personal care was provided to people as they required it. The service also provided other forms of social care support that are not included within CQC’s registration requirements for a supported living service. For example, in addition to personal care, the service assisted people with their housekeeping, shopping, attending appointments and other independent living skills. At the time of the inspection the service provided personal care and support to 14 people living in their own homes. Some people who used the service lived in a supported housing development called Morgan Court, close to where the service was based.

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

There had previously been a number of managers in post for short periods of time. People, relatives and staff welcomed the commitment and consistency of the current manager. One member of staff told us, “We have struggled due to managers, but [manager’s name] has come and stuck it out. They are good at organising, good to talk to, approachable. They’ve been doing shifts and are willing to step in”.

Regular training was provided for staff, who were knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities, and people’s individual needs. However, many staff were not up to date with the mandatory training provided via eLearning, which meant there was a risk their knowledge and skills would not be maintained. The registered manager was aware of this, and had taken steps to address the issue with staff at team meetings and in supervision. In addition they were planning to “rota people on to do eLearning, rather than ask them to do it in their own time”.

The registered manager told us the service had been through a challenging time related to the retention and recruitment of staff, although they were confident the situation would now improve following a successful recruitment campaign. The registered manager and senior support workers had covered shifts themselves and regular agency staff provided consistency and safe staffing levels. People told us there were enough staff to meet their needs and the quality of the care they received had not been affected.

The service placed a strong emphasis on a ‘person centred approach’, and staff received specific training to support them in this. They respected people’s privacy and dignity, working in partnership with their relatives to ensure their legal rights were protected. They promoted their ability to make choices and decisions about their lives, and how they wanted their support to be provided. People told us the staff were kind and caring. One person told us, “They are very kind. I have to give them 100% for kindness”.

People wer

Ten people lived in the supported living accommodation provided in individual houses. We spoke with five people. Everyone said that they had a support plan and they were given choice about their care or treatment. Comments included that “staff do what I want” and “staff help me when I want it”. People were enthusiastic about the activities they participate in and explained their involvement in the local community, saying they were able to work in local gardens, a farm and a children’s nursery. People said that the staff were “nice" and that ”staff will leave me alone when I want”.

People said that they liked the way they had decorated their homes and that staff supported them to keep them as they wished. One person said “I enjoy art and I’ve got my pictures on the walls”. People said that staff would support them to cook their meals if they wanted and one person said “I’m a good cook”.

There were nine people living in their own homes at the time of the inspection.

People who used the service were very positive and were unanimous that they were treated with respect. People told us that they were happy with their care and felt included in their care plan.

We looked at care records in people's homes and saw that care was planned to reflect individual needs. One person said "I always choose what I want to do as this is my home and my key worker helps me when I need them to".

People we spoke to told us they felt safe in their homes and were able to talk to staff if they had any concerns.

We observed that people were able to make their own choices about how to live their lives which had made them more independent. When asked what was best about having your own home one person said "It is my home and I can do what I want when I want to do it".

Staff told us that safeguarding adults from abuse was a high priority for them and they would report abuse or allegations of abuse to their manager.

Staff told us that they felt supported and encouraged to develop in their roles. One person said "they really care about us and want us to do well".