The inspection took place from 15 to 22 August 2018 and was announced.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. 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 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.

North East Autism Society provides care and support to people living in 11 ‘supported living’ settings of two to three tenants so that they can live as independently as possible in their own accommodation. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support. At the time of our inspection there were 21 people using the service who had a learning disability and or autism.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Staff were trained in areas that providers are expected to deliver such as, safeguarding, first aid, the Mental Capacity Act and infection control. Additional training was in place or planned in areas specific to people’s individual needs.

Effective procedures were in place for managing medicines and we found that all aspects of medicines management, storage, administration and recording were safe.

People were supported to have choice and control over their own lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People were being supported by person centred care. Person centred care is when the person is central to their support and their preferences are respected. Care plans were person centred regarding people’s preferences and were updated regularly.

Accidents and incidents were monitored by the registered manager to highlight any trends and to ensure appropriate referrals to other healthcare professionals were made if needed.

A programme of audits was carried out by the registered manager which were effective at improving the service.

People who used the service were regularly asked for their views about the support they received and this was recorded and acted upon. People’s relatives and other healthcare professionals were asked for their views via questionnaires or feedback forms.

People were supported to take risks safely and personalised risk assessments were in place to ensure these were reduced.

Staff recruitment was carried out safely with robust safety checks in place for new staff.

People were supported to maintain their independence by staff that understood and valued the importance of this. People had planned goals and were supported to achieve them.

People and their relatives could complain if they wished and knew how to complain or raise minor concerns.

Assistive technology was in use in people’s homes and people were supported to use this for communication. People were supported to access information in a variety of formats to suit their needs.

People were supported to take part in a wide range of activities at home and in the wider community as active citizens and to suit their individual preferences.

People’s rights were valued and people were treated with eq

This inspection took place on 31 December 2015 and 7, 11 and 14 January 2016. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice we would be visiting to ensure someone would be at the service.

North East Autism Society provides personal care and support to people who live in supported living houses across the north east. On the day of our inspection there were 19 people using the service.

North East Autism Society had a registered manager in place. 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

North East Autism Society was last inspected by CQC on 13 December 2013 and was compliant.

There were sufficient numbers of staff in order to meet the needs of people who used the service. The provider had an effective recruitment and selection procedure in place and carried out relevant checks when they employed staff.

Thorough investigations had been carried out in response to safeguarding incidents or allegations and accidents or incidents.

People were protected against the risks associated with the unsafe use and management of medicines.

Staff training was mostly up to date however some refresher training was due.

Staff received regular supervisions and appraisals, which meant that staff were properly supported to provide care to people who used the service.

People were protected from the risk of poor nutrition.

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) provides a legal framework for making particular decisions on behalf of people who may lack the mental capacity to do so for themselves. The Act requires that as far as possible people make their own decisions and are helped to do so when needed. When they lack mental capacity to take particular decisions, any made on their behalf must be in their best interests and as least restrictive as possible.

People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment when this is in their best interests and legally authorised under the MCA. We found the service was working within the principles of the MCA.

People who used the service, and family members, were complimentary about the standard of care at North East Autism Society.

Staff treated people with dignity and respect and helped to maintain people’s independence by encouraging them to care for themselves where possible.

The home had a full programme of activities in place for people who used the service.

Care records were written in a person centred way.

The provider had a complaints policy and procedure in place and people who used the service, and family members, knew how to make a complaint.

The service had a positive culture that was person-centred, open and inclusive.

The service had links with the community and other organisations.

The provider had a robust quality assurance system in place and gathered information about the quality of their service from a variety of sources.

We spent some time at two houses and watched how staff supported three people. We saw staff were skilled at understanding people’s individual needs, and helped them to lead active lifestyles. One person told us, “The staff help me do the things that I like. I make my choices myself.”

We talked with four relatives. They had positive comments about the service. One relative told us, “They certainly meet his needs very well and at the times he needs support.” Another relative commented, “Staff understand his needs really well. They know exactly how to help him and they look after him very well.”

The agency made sure there were sufficient staff available to meet people’s individual activities and needs. The people we spoke with said they “liked” the staff and we saw staff were well trained to support people with their individual needs.

The agency provided some information about its service for people. We saw the provider checked the quality of the service, and involved people and their relatives in reviews about the care service.

There was a copy of the complaints procedure in easy-read and pictures to help people understand it. There had been no complaints in the last year.