This unannounced inspection took place on 7 November 2016. At the last inspection in December 2015, we found breaches of legal requirements. This was because people were not always treated with dignity and respect and have their rights as tenants respected. Care and support was not always provided with the consent of the relevant person. Risks relating to people’s care and support were not always appropriately assessed and action taken to mitigate those risks.

At this inspection, we found improvements had been made and that the service now met the required standards.

Kings Lodge is registered to provide personal care to people with learning disabilities in supported living. At the time of our inspection, six people used the service, living in two adjoining units in a large detached house, with three people in each unit.

The service is not required to have a manager registered with CQC in place as it is provided by an individual provider, who is the manager. The provider is the ‘registered person.’ 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.

Appropriate arrangements were in place to safeguard people who used the service. Staff had undertaken training in this area and were aware of their responsibility to report any allegations of abuse. Enough staff worked at the service to meet people’s needs and checks were carried out on prospective staff. Risk assessments were robust and provided staff with clear guidance about how to support people safely. Medicines were managed appropriately. People managed their own medicines with staff support.

Staff undertook training and received supervision to support them to carry out their roles effectively. People consented to care and the service operated in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People ate a healthy diet, in order to maintain their health and wellbeing. People were supported by staff to maintain good health and access health care services when required.

The service carried out assessments of people’s needs before they moved in to ascertain if it was able to meet their needs. Care plans were developed and were subject to regular reviews and updated if people’s needs changed.

The service had an open and transparent culture and staff were clear about their roles and the ethos of the service. The provider has ensured that the recommendations we made at the last inspection were met. They have ensured that information provided to staff is relevant and specific to their work at Kings Lodge. People’s personal care and support records were well-organised and information was easy to access.

This inspection took place on 18 December 2015 and 11 January 2016. The inspection was unannounced on 18 December and announced on 11 January.

Kings Lodge is registered to provide personal care to people with learning disabilities in supported living. Six people used the service at the time of our inspection, living in two adjoining units in a large detached house in Barkingside, Essex. Three people live in each unit.

This was the service’s first inspection since it was registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in January 2011. The service had not been inspected during this time as the provider informed us they were not providing support with personal care for any of the people who lived there, however this changed during 2015.

The service is not required to have a manager registered with CQC in place as it is provided by an individual provider, who is the manager. The provider is the ‘registered person’. 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.

Although the service is registered with CQC as a supported living service providing support with personal care to people in their own homes, we found that people did not have valid tenancy agreements in place outlining and protecting their rights as tenants, and there were other features of the service, such as lack of control over who and when people entered their home, that meant people’s rights as tenants were not protected.

People told us they were very mostly very happy living at Kings Lodge, and the staff supported them well. They had achieved the outcomes they worked towards since moving in and felt listened to and respected by staff.

Our inspection found that the support provided by the service met people’s needs in a generally safe way. People were protected from abuse and staff were suitable people for their roles. However, we found that some risk assessments were not robust and did not provide clear guidance for staff on how to support people safely.

People received appropriate support from staff who were trained for their roles. However, we found that the requirements of Mental Capacity Act 2005 were not always met and people were not always asked for their consent before support was provided.

Staff supported people to eat nutritious food of their choice and maintain good health. Staff supported people to make choices, gain new skills and maintain the daily living skills they had, and access the community. However, we found that people did not always have control over who entered their home and when, or who they lived with.

Staff were caring, kind and compassionate in their interactions with people who used the service, and knew them very well. People told us they especially liked the holidays that staff supported them to plan, book and go on.

The service had an open and transparent culture and staff were clear about their roles and the ethos of the service provided. We have made recommendations to ensure that information provided to staff is relevant and specific to their work at Kings Lodge, and to ensure people’s personal care and support records are well-organised with information easily found.

We found several breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what actions we have told the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.