We inspected the service on 15 May 2017. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice of our inspection because Kingly Croft is a small service and staff and people who use the service are often out during the day. We needed to be sure that someone would be in.

Kingly Croft provides accommodation and personal care for up to six people who require support because they have suffered brain injuries or have neurological disabilities. It, and three other services run by Kingly Partnership, are a centre of excellence used by organisations who support people with similar needs. Kingly Croft is a 1920s detached property that has been extensively modernised and adapted for people who use wheelchairs and other specialist equipment. Accommodation is on two floors. People have access to an enclosed landscaped garden.

The service has a registered manager. 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 consistently experienced care that met their unique needs. People’s lives had been enhanced as a result, often with outstanding outcomes which transformed their lives.

The registered manager, the senior managers and the staff had a strong and visible person centred culture that was at the core of the service. Staff were motivated because they felt supported by a management team they felt inspired them. People using the service felt the benefit of this through their experience of consistently outstanding care.

The provider was an active participant of three regional and national forums, all specialising in raising awareness of brain injury and neurological disabilities. This helped the provider to ensure that care practice was in keeping with the latest research and a ‘flagship’ provider. They had been shortlisted for awards for best service in three different categories in three consecutive years, 2014, 2015 and 2016. The service provided preceptorships for newly qualified NHS occupational therapists.

People using the service felt safe and were protected by effective safeguarding procedures that staff were fully conversant with. Staff also helped people to make choices about how they wanted to be supported and how they spent their time. People were supported to participate in activities that developed and increased their independence. Where those activities included risks these were managed to protect people from injury.

People were supported by sufficient numbers of experienced and professionally qualified staff who understood their needs. The provider had effective procedures for the safe management of medicines.

Staff were well trained and supported by the management team and the directors of Kingly Partnership, all of whom were professionally qualified and specialists in neurological disability who participated in research in that area. People were supported by rehabilitation support workers (RSW) and professional occupational therapists that had extensive professional training about neurological disabilities. People were therefore supported by highly skilled and knowledgeable staff that consistently provided outstanding care.

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 support this practice. The registered manager’s contribution to a complex court case involving the Mental Capacity Act 2005 had been acknowledged in a court’s decision.

People were supported with their dietary and nutritional needs. Staff made special efforts to ensure people had meals they enjoyed. Staff supported people to access health services when they needed them.

Staff were caring and compassionate. They understood people’s needs an

We inspected the service on 6 January 2015. The inspection was announced because we wanted to be sure that people would be at the service when we visited.

Kingly Croft provides accommodation and personal care for up to six people who require support because they have suffered brain injuries or have neurological disabilities. Kingly Croft is a 1920s detached property that has been extensively modernised.

The service has a registered manager. 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 using the service felt safe and were protected by effective safeguarding procedures that staff were fully conversant with. Staff also helped people to make choices about how they wanted to be supported and how they spent their time. People were protected from harm but were encouraged to take risks that increased their independence.

People were supported by sufficient numbers of experienced and well-qualified staff who understood their needs. The provider had effective procedures for the safe management of medicines.

Staff were well trained and supported by the management team and the directors of Kingly Partnership. The provider had links with nationally and internationally recognised organisations that were experts in the field of brain injury and neurological disabilities. This helped the provider to ensure that care practice was in keeping with the latest research.

Staff understood the relevance to their roles and responsibilities of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Staff sought people’s consent before providing care and support and did not practice any form of constraint.

People were supported with their dietary and nutritional needs; and were able to access health services when they needed them.

Staff were caring and compassionate. They understood people’s needs and developed caring professional relationships with people. They supported people to express their views and took account of what they said.

People’s privacy and dignity were promoted because staff had a good understanding of `dignity in care’ and put that into practice.

People received care and support that was focused on their individual needs. People had developed skills and increased their independence as a direct result of the care and support they received. People knew how to raise concerns and express their views. Their views were acted upon.

People using the service knew what the aims of the service were and they were involved in developing the service. The service was well led and organised. The provider took an active interest in the service. There were effective procedures for monitoring and assessing the quality of service. A high quality service was provided.