The inspection was announced. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. We did this to ensure staff would be available at the service.

Kids South Gloucestershire provides short breaks for children and young people with disabilities. This includes engaging in activities with the children in their home or within the community. Personal care is also given to children. At the time of the inspection the service was providing personal care to 11 children. Throughout the report we refer to children as people.

There was a registered manager in post at the service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider. 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.

At the time of the inspection the service employed, a registered manager and 25 care staff.

People received care and support from care staff they felt safe with. People were safe because staff understood their role and responsibilities to keep them safe from harm. Staff were aware how to raise any safeguarding concerns. Risks were assessed and individual plans put in place to protect people from harm.

There were sufficient numbers of staff to ensure people's needs were met. Plans were in place to recruit additional staff to ensure there was sufficient cover to care for people. This was important due to the complex needs of some people using the service. The service carried out pre-employment checks on staff before they worked with people to assess their suitability.

People spoke highly of the staff that provided their care and people’s relatives were also complimentary of staff. Staff we spoke with demonstrated they were aware of people’s individual needs and understood their preferences. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities in supporting people to make their own choices and decisions.

Staff were suitably trained and training was monitored and kept up to date to ensure people received appropriate and safe care. Staff received supervision and appraisal aimed at improving the care and support they provided. Competency checks were carried out on staff to make sure they were practicing correctly. This ensured staff had the necessary skills to care for people safely.

People gave consent before any care was provided. Staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and gave examples of how they supported people with decisions about their care and daily lives. Where required, legal documentation was in place where others had made decisions on behalf of those people who lacked capacity to do so.

Staff were described as caring, friendly and supportive. It was clear positive relationships had been built between people and staff. Staff knew how to encourage people to be as independent as possible. Communication between staff, people and their relatives was positive.

People received a service that was well-led because the registered manager provided good leadership and management. Systems were in place to check on the standards within the service. These included regular audits of care records, recruitment files, risk assessments, health and safety, staff training and supervision.