Oxclose Lane is a care home for seven people who may have learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder. People in 'care homes' receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. There were six people using the service at the time of our visit.

The home had been registered with CQC before Registering the Right Support guidance and Building the Right Support had been developed. However, we found the care provided included choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People living with learning disabilities at Oxclose Lane were supported to live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

At our last inspection we rated the service as overall 'Good'. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and 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.

People were kept safe at the service. Staff recognised signs of any abuse and knew the process to follow to report such incidents. Staffing levels were maintained to ensure people were fully supported in a safe manner. Medicines were stored and handled in line with current guidance.

People's consent was obtained before any support or care was provided. Staff completed regular training and refresher courses to ensure their knowledge was up to date and people's needs were met in the correct way. People had access to health care professionals and had a choice of food and snacks throughout the day.

Staff were caring and understood the needs of the people receiving support and how their choices were to be provided. People's independence was respected and supported, with people enjoying trips outside the service when they wanted.

There was a range of activities offered and regular discussions about how people wanted to spend their days. Appropriate staffing levels were in place to support all outings and activities. People regularly visited the local community and routinely undertook such activities as swimming and walks. Contact with family and friends was supported and encouraged, with relatives being part of any celebrations or special events.

Relatives and staff were happy with the leadership of the service and told us that the registered manager was actively involved in the daily routines and readily available. Staff felt they were fully supported by the management team and were included in any developments of the service.

We inspected the service on 30 March 2016. The inspection was unannounced. Oxclose Lane Care Home provides accommodation and support for up to seven people with a learning disability. At the time of our inspection there were six people using the service.

The service had a registered manager in place at the time of our inspection. 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.

Risks in relation to people’s care and support were not always recognised and assessed appropriately and medicines were not always managed safely. People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff who knew how to recognise abuse and how to respond to concerns.

People were supported by staff who had the knowledge and skills to care for them and they were supported to make decisions. Staff knew how to act if people did not have the capacity to make certain decisions.

People were supported to maintain their nutrition and staff were monitoring and responding to people’s health conditions.

People lived in a service where staff listened to them. People’s needs were recognised and responded to by a staff team who cared about the individual they were supporting. People were supported to enjoy a social life.

People were involved in giving their views on how the service was run and benefited from an open and inclusive management team.

We spoke with three people who were using the service who told us that they were happy with the care and support they received. One person said, “I like it here. I have lived here for a long time. The staff know how to support me.” The other people we spoke with also indicated that they received the care and support they needed.

Appropriate arrangements were in place in relation to the recording of medicine. We looked at the medication and associated records for all of the people who were using the service. Medication administration records had been fully completed and reflected the actual amount of medication in the blister packs.

We spoke with two members of staff during our visit who told us they felt that they had received all of the training necessary to carry out their role effectively. One member of staff told us that the provider had helped them to enrol on a vocational course relating to their work.

There was an effective complaints system available.

The people we spoke with confirmed they were able to make their own decisions and that staff would respect these decisions. We were told, “I make my own decisions, staff assist me when I need them to.” Another person said, “I always decide things like what I want to eat and what I want to wear.”

On the day of our visit we saw that people were accessing facilities in their local community either independently or with assistance from staff.

A relative of a person using the service told us they were happy with the care being provided, “They have done a lot of good for my relative.”

We observed that certain parts of the building were not clean or not easily able to be kept clean.

The people we spoke with confirmed they were regularly asked for their opinions on a formal and informal basis. People told us they had been asked to fill in surveys which asked whether or not they were satisfied with different aspects of their care.