This inspection took place on 29 March 2017 and was announced.

This service provides care and support to people living in ‘supported living’ accommodation, so that they can live in their own home as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate agreements; this inspection looked at their personal care and support arrangements.

There were five people receiving the regulated activity of personal care at the service when we inspected and 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People told us the care they received was safe and they had no concerns about their welfare. Where needed people were supported with care staff at night if needed. People told us they felt safe when the care staff were with them in or out of their home.

Care staff knew the action to take if a person was at risk of potential abuse to ensure they were protected from further risk. The registered manager was confident in how to report incidents to the local authority and the steps they would take to address any concerns. People knew their individual risks and when and where they needed the care staff to monitor their safe care and support. There were enough care staff when people needed them in their home at the arranged times. Staff provided people with their medicines and recorded when they had received them.

People were confident that care staff understood their needs and were knowledgeable about their support needs. Care staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities and received regular training and supervision that supported them to provide care to people.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People who could not make decisions for themselves were supported to make a decision in their best interest. People received support to plan, make and prepare their meals. Care staff knew where people required additional support with additional dietary requirements. Healthcare appointments were arranged for people if needed and care staff had helped to arrange transport or went with them.

People told us they liked the care staff and were encouraged to be involved their care, support and life choices. People’s dignity and privacy was respected and promoted by care staff and supported people to live as independently. The registered manager was accessible and provided examples of how they advised and supported people them when they had queries or concerns.

People and care staff we spoke with told us the management team were available to talk with and would listen and act of any feedback provided on the service. The management team had kept their knowledge current with support from the provider and external professionals. The management regularly checked on the quality of the care that people received. The registered manager had developed a clear plan of improvements and was working towards achieving these throughout the year.