This inspection was carried out over three days on the 10, 11 and 16 October 2017. We visited the service announced the first two days and held telephone discussions with family members on the third day.

Lydbury Crescent Chance for a Break Service is based in a residential area of Kirkby and run by Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council. The service provides short term respite care for up to five adults with a learning disability. At the time of the inspection visit there were three people using the service.

At the last inspection in April 2015 the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Risks people faced were identified and measures were put in place to reduce the likelihood of harm occurring. Staff knew the different types of abuse and how to recognise and report any concerns they had. People were kept safe by the right amount of suitable staff. The process for recruiting new staff was safe and thorough. Background checks were carried out periodically to ensure staff remained suitable for their role. Procedures were followed to ensure people received their medicines safely.

People received care and support from staff who received training and supervision for their role. People's rights and best interests were promoted in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People's consent was obtained prior to the delivery of any care and support. People's dietary needs were understood and met and people enjoyed a variety of food and drink appropriate to their needs.

People were treated with dignity and respect and their privacy was promoted. Positive relationships had been formed between people who used the service, family members and staff.

People's needs were assessed prior to each stay they had at the service and where a change in a person's needs had been identified their care plan was updated to reflect this. Information was made available to people in an accessible format. A complaints policy and procedure was made available to people and relevant others. People and family members were confident about complaining should they need to.

The leadership of the service was inclusive and positive. The quality and safety of the service was assessed and monitored and the required improvements were made so that people received a service which was safe, effective and responsive to their needs.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

During this inspection nobody was staying at Lydbury Chance for a Break Service. Information on the views of people who had used the service and their relatives can be found in our report of the inspection we carried out in May 2013.

We carried out this inspection to check whether the service had taken action to ensure records were well maintained, relevant and up to date. We looked at care files relating to three people who had stayed at the service, spoke with the manager and looked at records relating to staff training.We found that records had been reviewed and updated where required. Information was clear, easy to locate and relevant. Records also provided a clear way to audit the quality of the service provided.

The people who have used the service told us that they enjoyed going to stay there for respite. They said they can choose what they do and staff gave them the support they need. They said that they were asked their views. Some comments made were;

"I like staying here”, “I like the staff”, “They talk to me about what I would like to do."

We saw that the service takes account of people’s views and adapts the service to meet people’s choices, needs and welfare.

Our observations showed that people were treated with dignity and had good relationships with the staff.

This was an announced inspection, carried out on the 23 & 24 April & 14 July 2015 .

Lydbury Crescent Chance for a Break Service is based in a residential area of Kirkby and is operated by Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council. The service provides short term respite care to a maximum of three adults. There is one ground floor bedroom and bathroom with stair access to further bedrooms and bathing facilities on the first floor. Aids and adaptations are provided to support people during their stay.

The service has had a registered manager since December 2014. 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 last inspection of Lydbury Crescent was carried out in April 2014 and we found that the service was not meeting all the regulations that were assessed. During this inspection we found that the required improvements had been made.

People told us and communicated that they felt safe. Relatives and carers told us that they had no concerns regarding the safety of their relatives whilst they were staying at the service. Staff had a good understanding of how to keep people safe and what action to take if they felt people were at risk from abuse. Staff were supported by safeguarding policies and procedures. The environment was clean and tidy. Regularly maintained equipment was available to support people with their mobility and independence.

A pre-stay assessment was carried out prior to people staying at the service. When required care plans and risk assessments were updated to help ensure that people’s needs, wishes and lifestyle choices were planned for and met. Where necessary people were supported by local health care services to meet their individual health needs.

Staff demonstrated a good awareness of people’s needs and wishes and they supported people in a dignified and respectful manner.

Procedures were in place to ensure that only suitable staff were employed. Staff received sufficient training and regular support to enable them to carry out their role safely.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and to report on what we find. Policies and procedures were in place to guide staff in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). The registered manager understood what their responsibilities were for ensuring decisions were made in people’s best interests and there were procedures in place to ensure that these decisions were recorded.

The registered manager and staff team were in the process of further developing the service to improve people’s experiences during their stay. These improvements included extending people’s opportunities to access the local community, reviewing care planning documentation and improving the way in which people’s views and opinions about the service are sought.