We inspected Lifeways Community Care on 17 January 2017. The inspection visit was announced two days before we visited so we could be sure the manager, staff and people were available to speak with us. This was the first time the service had been inspected.

Lifeways is registered to provide personal care and support to people living in their own homes. Some people lived together in shared accommodation under tenancy agreements and were supported with their care needs by Lifeways. There were 58 people using the service at the time of our inspection visit. The service offered support to people several visits per day, and on a 24 hour basis, where staff were in the person's home at all times. The service supported younger adults with a range of physical and learning disabilities and autistic spectrum disorder. People had a range of complex care needs associated with their condition.

A requirement of the provider’s registration is that they have 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. There was not a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection visit. However, the area manager was managing the service when we inspected. We refer to the area manager as the manager in the body of this report.

Staff received training in safeguarding adults and understood the correct procedure to follow if they had any concerns about people’s safety. All necessary checks had been completed before new staff started work at the home to make sure, as far as possible, they were safe to work with the people who lived there. The manager and staff identified risks to people who used the service and took action to manage identified risks and keep people safe.

There were enough staff employed at the service to care for people safely and effectively. People were supported by a staff team that knew them well. New staff completed an induction programme when they started work to ensure they had the skills they needed to support people effectively. Staff received refresher training and had their practice observed to ensure they had the necessary skills to support people. Staff had regular meetings with their manager in which their performance and development was discussed and development plans were agreed.

People’s care was planned with them, and the support of their relatives and staff at Lifeways. This helped to ensure care matched people’s individual needs, abilities and preferences.

People were supported to maintain their purpose and pleasure in life. Activities, hobbies and interests were based around each person's preferences. Events and activities were organised both inside and outside their home. Staff offered people ways to maintain and develop their independence and increase their life skills.

The manager and staff understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) to ensure people were looked after in a way that did not inappropriately restrict their freedom. The manager had made applications to the local authority where people’s freedom was restricted, in accordance with DoLS and the MCA.

Staff were described as being caring and kind. Staff respected people’s decisions to make their own choices and supported people to maintain and develop their independence.

People were supported with their health needs and had access to a range of healthcare professionals where a need had been identified. There were systems in place to ensure medicines were administered safely. People were encouraged to eat a balanced diet that took account of their preferences and nutritional needs.

People who used the service and their relatives, were encouraged to share their views