This inspection took place on 16 and 17 January 2017. It was unannounced. Lawn Court is registered for 17 people and there were 17 people living there when we visited. People cared for were adults who were living with past or present mental health needs, some of whom were also living with substance abuse difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder and other needs, for example epilepsy or diabetes. People lived at Lawn Court for varying periods of time, depending on their individual needs, and then moved on to more independent living.

Lawn Court is situated in a row of town houses which had been recently converted and upgraded. It is close to the centre of Bexhill on Sea.

Lawn Court had 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The provider is Together Working for Wellbeing, who provide a range of similar services nationally.

This was Lawn Court’s first inspection. Before this, the provider had run a service from a different building, which was close by. The provider had undertaken extensive building works to ensure Lawn Court provided a suitable environment for people. Some of the people and most of the staff moved from the old building to Lawn Court when it was newly registered.

The ethos of the home was to support people in becoming as independent at they wished to be. People said this was happening for them in the way they wanted. People’s privacy was respected in their daily lives. Where people needed personal care, this was provided in a dignified and respectful way. Staff showed empathy towards people when planning with them how they wanted to live their lives.

People were supported in their day to day lives at Lawn Court and if they wished, with external training programmes, working, volunteering and being part of the local community. People’s contact with their families and friendship groups was supported. People were fully involved in drawing up and developing their own care plans. They also knew how to raise issues of concern to themselves and were confident action would be taken if they raised issues.

People received effective support because of the wide ranging training programme for staff. These included mandatory areas like health and safety. They also included areas relating to people’s individual needs, for example supporting people who are living with substance abuse issues and people who are living with Autism. Staff received full support and supervision for their roles. Staff supervision was flexible for them, depending on their individual needs.

All staff were aware of people’s vulnerability and risk of abuse. Staff promptly took action to ensure people’s safety, if they identified they were at risk of abuse. People had risk assessments, which they were involved with drawing up, to ensure their safety, and also to support them in making decisions about how they wanted to live their life.

There were safe systems to support all of the people at Lawn Court in taking their medicines. People were supported in becoming independent with taking their own medicines. People were also supported in becoming independent with managing their own diets. People commented positively about the food and drinks provided. Staff were keen to support people in the principals of healthy eating. Where people had additional health and treatment needs, they were supported in being as independent as possible. If people’s health changed, staff ensured prompt support was requested.

Some people were subject to requirements under the Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA). Where this was the case, they had clear records about any restrictions placed on them. Staff supported people in ensuring they understood their rights and respo