This inspection took place on 30 November 2017. At our previous inspection in December 2015 we had no concerns about the quality of care and rated the service as good. At this inspection we still had no concerns and the service remains rated as good.

21 Longton Road provides accommodation and personal care for up to five people with a learning disability. At the time of this inspection five people were using the service.

There was a registered manager in post who supported us throughout the 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.

People who used the service received an excellent personalised service that met their individual needs and preferences. People were at the centre of how their service was run and were fully involved in the planning and developing of the service. Staff used innovative ideas and actions to improve people's quality of life and to give them outstanding opportunities in daily life.

People were safeguarded from the risk of abuse and action was taken to report or investigate incidents of abuse.

There were sufficient numbers of staff available to support people who had been employed through safe recruitment procedures.

Risks of harm were assessed and people were supported to remain safe and independent through the effective use of risk assessments. Lessons were learned following incidents that had put people at risk of harm.

People were protected from the risk of infection as infection control procedures were being followed.

People's needs were assessed and they received care and support from other agencies to ensure a holistic approach.

Staff received regular support and training to be able to fulfil their roles effectively.

The principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 were followed to ensure people's capacity to consent to their care was assessed. When people lacked the capacity they were supported to consent by their legal representatives.

People were supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts of food and drink of their liking. When people became unwell or their health needs changed, health care advice and support was gained.

The design and decoration of the building met people's individual needs and preferences.

People were treated with dignity and respect and were encouraged to be as independent as they were able. People's right to privacy was upheld and their relationships respected.

People were involved and able to express their view on how their service was run.

People received personalised care that was responsive to their individual needs and people felt able to raise concerns and were assured they would be acted upon.

People's wishes on how they wished to be cared for at the end of their life were sought.

There was a clear and visible strategy to deliver high quality care and support and there were systems in place to ensure that responsibilities are clear and performance is managed.

People who used the service, staff and the public were actively engaged and involved in the care delivery.

The registered manager and staff were continuously striving to improve the quality of service for people and staff worked with other agencies to ensure a holistic, open approach to people's care and support.

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This inspection took place on the 18 December 2015 and was unannounced. At our previous inspection in 2013 we found no concerns in the areas we looked at.

21 Longton Road provided accommodation and personal care for up to five people with a learning disability. Five people were using the service at the time of the inspection.

The registered manager supported us throughout the 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.

Staff knew what constituted abuse and who they should report it to if they thought someone had been abused. There were enough staff to keep people safe and to support people to follow their hobbies and interests.

People’s medicines were managed safely. Risks to people were minimised to encourage and promote people's independence. Staff were clear how to support people to maintain their safety when they put themselves at risk.

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) is designed to protect people who cannot make decisions for themselves or lack the mental capacity to do so. The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) are part of the MCA. They aim to make sure that people in care homes, hospitals and supported living are looked after in a way that does not inappropriately restrict their freedom. The provider followed the principles of the MCA by ensuring that people consented to their care or were supported by representatives to make decisions.

Staff were supported to fulfil their role effectively. There was a regular programme of training that was relevant to the needs of people at the home, which was kept up to date.

People’s nutritional needs were met. People were supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts to maintain a healthy lifestyle dependent on their preferences.

People were supported to access a range of health care services. When people became unwell staff responded and sought the appropriate support.

Staff were observed to be kind and caring and they told us that were well supported by the registered manager.

Care was personalised and met people’s individual needs and preferences. The provider had a complaints procedure and people knew how to use it.

The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of the service. When improvements were required these were made in a timely manner.

We inspected 21 Longton Road on a planned unannounced inspection, which meant the service did not know we were coming.

We spoke with people that used the service, a relative, two members of staff and the manager. When we arrived people were busy getting ready for their day activities with the support of staff.

People who used the service told us they were happy at Longton road. One person told us, “It’s fantastic here”.

We spoke with people and looked at their care plans and found that people’s care and welfare needs were being met.

We looked to see if people’s medication was being managed appropriately. We found the service had systems in place to ensure handled safely and securely.

We found that staff that had been recruited to the service had the relevant checks completed prior to them commencing their employment.

The service had a complaints procedure which dealt affectively with comments and complaints made by people who used the service or their relatives.

We saw that the service maintained records to protect people’s safety and wellbeing.

We found that 21 Longton road was compliant in the five outcome areas we looked at.

We visited 21 Longton Road on a planned unannounced inspection, which meant the home did not know we were coming.

We arrived at 8.30am and we saw people were getting up, either independently or with support from staff. The home was comfortable and welcoming and people who used the service appeared happy and relaxed and dressed appropriately for the weather and planned activities.

The registered manager was on holiday but there was a senior member of staff on duty and we were later joined by the deputy manager.

We looked at two people’s care plans and risk assessments and found them to be comprehensive and written in a person centred format. People we spoke with told us that they were involved in writing their care plan.

We spoke with one person who used the service and their relative, we spoke with staff and other involved agencies. They told us the care was good and people who used the service were fully involved in their care planning.

The staff were friendly and treated people who used the service with dignity and respect throughout the day, they demonstrated a philosophy of a person centred service, supporting and actively promoting people’s independence.

We saw day activities were offered to people and were appropriate to the needs of the individual.