20-21-22 Lincoln Close is a ‘care home’ for 6 people who have a variety of support needs including learning disabilities, mental health conditions and autism. People in care homes receive accommodation and personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. residential care There were six people living at the home at the time of this inspection. It consists of two properties, a two bedroom and a four bedroom flat with a shared garden. Each person has their own bedroom with shared bathrooms and kitchens and each flat contains a dining room and a lounge.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen. Registering the Right Support CQC policy

At the last inspection the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

People welcomed us into the home and told us they felt safe and happy living at Lincoln Close. People’s relatives told us that they were confident that people were safe.

Risks to people were appropriately assessed, planned for and managed. There were sufficient competent and experienced staff to provide people with appropriate support when they needed it.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.

People were treated with kindness by staff who respected their privacy and upheld their dignity. Staff worked in a way that demonstrated they treated the service as people’s homes and they told us this was the ethos of provider and the management team. People and their relatives told us that they did not have any complaints but felt confident to raise any issues if they arose.

People received appropriate support to maintain their health and well-being. Staff supported people to access healthcare services when needed and worked closely with healthcare professionals.

The manager sought people’s views about the service and acted on their feedback. People’s relatives were encouraged to be involved with people’s lives where appropriate and to provide feedback on the service.

There was a positive, open and inclusive atmosphere within the service. People’s views were sought about the service and acted upon. There was good feedback from relatives and external professionals about the managers and staff of the service. Systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service and any improvements required were made.

Further information is in the detailed findings below

This inspection took place on 8 March 2016 and was unannounced. At our last inspection on 9 December 2013, the service was found to be meeting the required standards in the areas we looked at.

20-21-22 Lincoln Close is a care home for six people who are living with learning disabilities. There were six people living at the home at the time of this inspection. It consists of two properties, a two bedroom and a four bedroom flat with a shared garden. Each person has their own bedroom with shared bathrooms and kitchens and each flat contains a dining room and a lounge.

There was a manager in post who had registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People welcomed us into the home and told us they felt safe and happy living at Lincoln Close. Staff were clear about their role in supporting people and about how they positively managed risks to people's safety and well-being. There were clear plans on how to support people to have independence and control over their lives while promoting their safety, comfort and wellbeing.

Staff had received training in how to safeguard people from abuse and knew how to report concerns. Safe and effective recruitment practices were followed to ensure that all staff were suitably qualified and experienced. There were sufficient numbers of suitable staff available to meet people's individual needs. People were supported to manage their medicines safely.

The atmosphere in the home was welcoming and there were positive and caring interactions between the staff and the people who lived in the home. People told us they were fully involved in planning their care and they were encouraged to develop their skills and interests. There were clear plans on how people wished to be supported and the goals they wanted to achieve. People enjoyed a varied healthy diet and their physical and mental health needs were well catered for.

People’s permission was sought before staff assisted them with care or support. Staff were supported to develop the required skills and knowledge to provide care effectively to people.

People’s relatives were encouraged to be involved in reviewing people’s support plans. People were actively supported to maintain family relationships and friendships.

The home was well led by a manager who knew the people living in the home and supported them to have their views and ideas heard and acted upon. There was a positive open culture with staff working together in an atmosphere which valued their contribution to the service. Systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service and promote continuous improvement.

We were told by people who used the service that this was a lovely home and was very well run. One person said " I love living here, I am very happy". Staff told us how pleased they were to be able to assist people to maximise their independence with one staff member saying, "I would recommend this care home to a relative or friend of mine".

We found support plans personalised and signed by people who used the service and that the action plans were regularly reviewed and amended. One external qualified professional from a statutory organisation visiting the home during our visit said " This is a very well run care home".

We found that people's medicines were handled safely appropriately and that people who used the service received their medicines as they had been prescribed to them.

The manager regularly sought the views and experiences of people who used the service and their relatives. People we spoke with told us they were happy with the feedback they received from the home. One person we spoke with told us, "Communication between staff the staff, residents and relatives is really very good."

The people who use the service who we spoke to told us that staff were kind and caring and they were given support to be independent. One person said "I am happy living here staff are beautiful they help me plan outings to concerts". Staff told us that they felt well supported by management and received regular supervision. We saw that the quality of the service was regularly monitored at the local and provider level through spot checks and inspections. People who use the service were supported to give feedback in a variety of ways and audits were also undertaken.