Little Paddocks is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and personal care as a single package under a contractual agreement with the local authority, health authority or the individual, if privately funded. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Little Paddocks (which is run by Maison care) provides accommodation and personal care for up to eight people who have a learning disability and/or autistic spectrum disorder. Little Paddocks is a purpose built twin set of bungalows which accommodate four people in each. The service is situated in a residential area of Little Clacton and is close to amenities and Clacton on Sea. The premises is set out on one floor with each person using the service having their own individual bedroom and adequate communal facilities are available for people to make use of within the service. At the time of our inspection seven people were using the service.

At our last inspection of this service on 28 October 2016 the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

A registered manager was in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 were safeguarding and whistle blowing procedures in place and staff had a clear understanding of these procedures. We observed this throughout our inspection and people, relatives and staff told us there was always enough staff on duty to meet people's needs.

Appropriate recruitment checks were carried out before staff started working at the service. People were receiving their medicines as prescribed by health care professionals.

Staff had the knowledge and skills required to meet people's needs. Action was taken to assess risks to people’s safety and wellbeing. People's needs were assessed and care plans included detailed information and guidance for staff about how their needs should be met. People were encouraged to eat healthy meals and to cook for themselves where able.

The registered manager and staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and acted according to this legislation. Staff monitored people's mental and physical health and where there were concerns people were referred to appropriate health professionals and services.

People's care records included communication profiles that recorded their specific methods of communication with staff. It was evident that staff knew people well and communicated with them effectively. People were supported to engage in friendships, access the community, attend clubs and places of work and enjoy aspects of their cultural backgrounds where required. Care records were person centred and included people's views about how they wished to be supported. The service had a complaints procedure in place and this was available in a format that people could understand.

The registered provider recognised the importance of regularly monitoring the quality of the service they provided to people. The registered manager and staff worked effectively with other organisations to ensure staff followed best practice. They took into account the views of people and their relatives through surveys, meetings and one to one communication. Staff said they enjoyed working at the service and they received good support from the registered manager. The registered manager was a visible presence in the service each day and was readily available on both days of our inspection.

Little Paddocks provides accommodation, care and support for up to eight people with complex needs including learning disabilities and autism. The premises consist of two large bungalows, with shared gardens. There were four people living in each of the bungalows when we carried out an unannounced inspection on 1 and 6 September 2016.

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

People and their visitors were complementary about the relaxed atmosphere of the service and welcoming, friendly staff.

Staff knew people well and had developed good relations with people and their relatives. Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity at all times and interacted with people in a caring, respectful and professional manner. There were sufficient numbers of staff, who were trained and supported to meet the needs of the people who used the service.

People and their relatives felt that the service was providing safe care. Risks to people were assessed and appropriate measures taken to minimise risk, without unnecessarily restricting people’s independence. Where restrictive practices were in place to ensure people’s safety, the service was aware of the changes to the law regarding the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Where needed, appropriate referrals were made to external professionals.

People, and where appropriate their representatives, were involved in making decisions about their care and support. People’s care plans had been tailored to the individual and contained information to support their physical and mental health needs and their ability to make decisions. People were supported to access a range of educational, work and leisure activities, linked to their personal choice and preferences.

Dietary needs and nutrition were well managed and advice sought from appropriate health professionals as needed. Good working relationships had been developed with external health care professionals. There were appropriate arrangements in place to safely support people with their prescribed medicines. We have made a recommendation to ensure medicines, were stored at the correct temperature.

People their relatives and staff could voice their views and opinions. A complaints procedure was in place and people were asked their views of the service to drive on-going improvements. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities in providing safe and good quality care to the people who used the service. They were committed to using continuous feedback from people as part of their quality assurance system for continued improvement.

We spoke with three people who used the service. We also spoke with the manager, deputy manager and two members of staff. We looked at three people's care records, and policies regarding safeguarding vulnerable adults, finance management and whistle blowing.

We considered our inspection findings to answer questions we always ask; Is the service safe? Is the service effective? Is the service caring? Is the service responsive? Is the service well-led?

This is a summary of what we found;

Is the service safe?

When we arrived at the service we were greeted by the senior member of staff on duty and the acting manager. We were asked for our identification and asked us to sign in the visitor's book. This meant that the appropriate actions were taken to ensure that the people who used the service were protected from others who did not have the right to access their home.

People told us they felt safe living in the service and that they would speak with the staff if they had concerns.

We saw evidence of the way the service had responded to concerns about the safety and wellbeing of people who used the service. The provider had responded in a way that kept people safe and ensured appropriate investigations took place in response to concerns.

People told us that the staff were available when they needed them to help and support them. One person told us about how they were supported to manage their finances. They were happy that the support offered was helpful but not intrusive.

Is the service effective?

People's care records showed that care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare. The care plans were indexed for ease of reading and finding information. The records had recently been reviewed and updated as required. This meant that staff provided information that was up to date about how people's needs were met.

Is the service caring?

We saw that the staff interacted with people who used the service in a caring, respectful and professional manner. One person showed to us the garden where they were growing vegetables. They told us. “The staff have shown me how to do this.” There were arrangements in place for the staff to work with other organisations to support people to follow their life-style choices and provide care.

Is the service responsive?

The service arranged and supported people to go shopping to purchase the food they liked to eat. People who used the service were provided with the opportunity to participate in activities which interested them. People's choices were taken into account and listened to as each person had an individualised program of activities to pursue.

One person told us that they knew how to make a complaint if they were unhappy. We saw that the service had involved advocates appropriately to support people and had arranged for people who used the service to learn skills to help them communicate with people.

People's care records showed that where concerns about their wellbeing had been identified, the staff had taken appropriate action to ensure that people were provided with the support they needed.

Is the service well-led?

The acting manager had developed a training program for staff designed to develop their skills to provide care to the people who used the service. There was a quality assurance system in place which included a complaints policy and procedure and robust recruitment arrangements.

Some people who lived in Little Paddocks had complex needs and were unable to speak with us but we saw that they were relaxed and happy. Other people were pleased to tell us about their lifestyle and said they liked living in the home.

It was evident that staff knew people well and we saw that there were good interactions between members of staff and people who lived in the home; staff listened to people and treated them with respect.

We noted that the environment in Little Paddocks was spacious, with sufficient communal areas to meet the needs of people who lived there. We saw that people were comfortable in their surroundings.

We found that staff received the training and support they needed to provide care and support safely. They were able to demonstrate that they understood the specific needs of the people who used the service and provided care in a person-centred manner.