This inspection was announced and took place on 8 December 2016. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice of inspection to ensure the registered manager would be available to meet us at the provider’s office and also to make arrangements for us to visit some of the people in their own homes.

The was a registered manager, however the registered manager was unavailable on the day of this inspection. The inspection was supported by a service 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.

Mencap Dorset Support Service provided a supported living service. A supported living service is where people have a tenancy agreement with a landlord and receive their care and support from a care provider. As the housing and care arrangements were entirely separate people can choose to change their care provider if they wished without losing their home. At the time of the inspection they were offering personal care to five people in their own homes, and eight people living in a shared home.

Mencap Dorset Support Service had completed the process of supporting people to transition from residential living to independent living. The service manager confirmed people and staff had adapted well with the transition from living and working in a residential care home to supported living. The service manager was able to provide a number of examples where service users have been supported to develop their independence and life skills. People confirmed they had been consulted about where they wished to live. One relative told us, “I can’t believe how well the move has gone and how my relative has settled in. It was very important they stayed in the local area. The staff team have been so flexible, being there giving that extra support when needed”

People’s relatives told us the management and staff were very caring. We observed staff interacted with people in a friendly and considerate manner and respected their choices. Staff were very patient and took time to try to understand people’s wishes and preferences even though some people needed additional support to be able to express themselves verbally.

People had positive relationships with the staff members who supported them. Staff knew people’s individual histories, likes and dislikes and things that were important to them. People’s privacy and dignity was respected and information personal to them was treated in confidence.

The provider had a recruitment procedure that ensured the suitability of staff was checked before they began work. Staff knew how to recognise signs of abuse and all said they were confident that any issues raised would be appropriately addressed by the registered manager. People felt safe with the staff who supported them.

People had support plans which were personalised to them. Staff were knowledgeable of the needs and preferences of people they cared for. All staff spoken with were able to describe how they supported the people they visited. People said staff understood their needs and looked after them in the way they wanted to be looked after. Information contained in the care plans detailed what support people wanted from staff. Daily visit records showed staff had carried out the care and support in line with people’s care plans. Staff told us they felt the information available regarding people’s needs was good.

People received help with their medicines from staff who were trained to safely support them and

who made sure they had their medicine when they needed it. The provider undertook regular competency checks on staff to ensure they followed safe practice when supporting people.

There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and plan on-going improvem