Marston Avenue is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Marston Avenue is owned by an individual provider who also manages the service. It therefore does not require 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.

Marston Avenue is a self-contained one bedded home offering a bespoke residential respite service. The service is connected to the provider’s home. The service specialises in caring for young and older adults who may have learning disabilities and/or autistic spectrum disorder. People who use the service can choose how long they wish to stay at the home. This can vary from a few days to a few weeks depending on their specific needs. Most people that have used the service have had their stay funded by their local authority.

We inspected Marston Avenue on 31 October 2018. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a bespoke respite care service and the provider is sometimes out of the office supporting people who use the service. We needed to be sure that they would be available to speak with us on the day of our inspection.

At our previous inspection in April 2016 we rated the service Good overall. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of Good. There was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated any serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

People continued to be cared for in a safe manner at Marston Avenue. People were supported to remain safe at the service. Appropriate safeguarding procedures were in place and risks to people were regularly assessed and reviewed. Staff were suitably recruited and met the needs of the people using the service.

Staff were trained to carry out their roles effectively and worked with partnership organisations to meet people’s needs. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.

Staff were caring and compassionate, whilst treating people with dignity and respect. People were supported to be involved in decision making in relation to their care.

People received care that was personalised to meet their needs and were supported to partake in activities and maintain social relationships.

Staff had received training in the MCA (Mental Capacity Act) and understood the importance of gaining people’s consent before assisting them.

The service completed a detailed personalised support plan for each person with information provided in accessible formats. They kept people’s needs under review and made changes as required.

People using the service felt able to raise any concerns or complaints. There was a procedure in place for people to follow if they wanted to raise any issues. Staff also said they felt comfortable in raising any concerns should they have any.

The service was well led with a clear vision to drive the service forward and make improvements to the quality of care. Staff and people who used the service found the management team to be approachable.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

Marston Avenue was first registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in October 2014 and this is the first inspection of the service since registration. This inspection took place on 14 April 2016 and was announced.

Marston Avenue is a self-contained one bedded home offering a bespoke residential respite service. The service is connected to the provider’s home. The service specialises in caring for young and older adults who may have learning disabilities and/or autistic spectrum disorder. People that use the service can choose how long they wish to stay at the home. This can vary from a few days to a few weeks depending on their specific needs. Most people that have used the service have had their stay funded by their local authority.

Marston Avenue is owned by an individual provider who also manages the service. It therefore does not require a registered manager. 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 a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People were safe at Marston Avenue. The views of people, their relatives and social workers involved in their care, supported this. The provider and the staff they employed had received training to ensure people could be sufficiently protected if they suspected they were at risk of abuse or harm. There were procedures in place for all staff to follow to ensure concerns were reported promptly to the appropriate investigating authority. Staff had also received training to ensure people were protected from discriminatory behaviour and practices that could cause them harm.

To keep people safe from injury or harm in the home and community, staff had access to appropriate guidance on how to minimise identified risks to people due to their specific needs. Maintenance and service checks were carried out at the home to ensure the environment and equipment was safe.

There were enough suitable staff to care for and support people. The provider had carried out appropriate checks to ensure all staff employed were suitable to work at the home. The provider ensured they and all staff attended relevant training to support them in their roles. The provider had a good understanding and awareness of people’s needs and how these should be met. They ensured people’s right to privacy and to be treated with dignity were respected. The way they supported people during the inspection was kind and respectful.

People were supported to keep healthy and well. The provider ensured people were able to promptly access healthcare services when this was needed. People were encouraged to drink and eat sufficient amounts to meet their needs. Where this was appropriate their food and fluid intake was monitored to ensure they were eating and drinking enough and maintaining a healthy weight. There were good arrangements in place to support people with their prescribed medicines if this was needed.

People were supported to express their views in a way that suited them. The provider used appropriate communication methods to ensure people could state their wishes and choices and these were respected. People were involved in planning the care and support they needed. Their relatives and social workers also participated in helping people decide on the level of care and support they wanted. There was good information for staff on how people's care and support needs should be met.

People, their relatives and social workers, were satisfied with the support people received at Marston Avenue. The provider had put in place good arrangements to enable people to state their views, concerns or complaints and to suggest to the provider what actions and learning the service could take from their experiences.

People were encouraged to maintain relationships that were