Redmayne View provides care and support to people living in an ‘extra care’ housing scheme. Extra care housing is purpose built or adapted single household accommodation in a shared site or building. 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 provided by the service. Not everyone living at Redmayne View received the regulated activity of personal care. On the day of our inspection 34 people were receiving this service.

Redmayne View is situated in Norwich in Norfolk. The service provides support to people who live in their accommodation, with their own tenancy agreements. The aim of the service is to provide high quality care and support at all times to enable people to remain living as independently as possible within their own homes.

At our last inspection we rated the service Good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of Good overall. Further developments to the key question of ‘Caring’ resulted in that key question being rated ‘Outstanding’. In line with our methodology the rating overall remains ‘Good’. There was no other 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 received outstanding care from staff who knew them exceptionally well. People had an enhanced sense of well-being and quality of life because staff actively encouraged and supported them to retain their independence for as long as possible.

People felt safe receiving the service from staff who delivered their care and support at the agreed times. Staff demonstrated good knowledge about people's care and support needs and people were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives.

People received the support they needed with their medicines from staff who had received training and had their competency to administer medicines checked.

People received support from a consistent team of staff, many who had worked at the service for a number of years. People were provided with care and support according to their needs and any risks were identified and managed. People's care plans provided staff with the information they needed to support people and were personalised to reflect their preferences. Systems were in place to support people with their medicines where required. Staff understood the principles of mental capacity.

The service was run by an experienced and long serving registered manager who retained good oversight of the service to ensure that people were having their care needs met as per their care plans. People who used the service, relatives and staff told us the service was well led. Staff were aware of their roles and responsibilities and were well supported.

The service had a complaints procedure which was made available to people and their relatives. People were happy living at the home and had no complaints.

Further information is in the detailed findings below

The inspection took place on 7 April 2016 and we contacted the service before we visited to announce the inspection.

Redmayne View is a ‘housing with care’ scheme. It provides support to older people who have their own tenancies. People receive care in their own flats by staff employed by the provider Norse. Some people were living with dementia or long term conditions.

There was 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.’

People were supported by staff who were knowledgeable in their roles and demonstrated the skills required. They had been safely recruited and well-trained. They told us they felt supported and happy in their roles. Staff showed passion and enthusiasm for the people they cared for and the service they provided.

Staff demonstrated they understood how to safeguard people from harm and protect people from the risk of abuse. The service had procedures in place to report any safeguarding concerns they may have and staff understood these. Staff had knowledge of other agencies they could go to report incidents of suspected abuse. People and staff were protected from harm as the service had identified and assessed any risks to them and reviewed these on a regular basis. Risk assessments were individual to the person and their environment.

Medicines were administered in a consistently safe manner. Medicines administration records were clear and accurate and contained relevant information. Staff understood safe procedures for administering medicines.

Staff received training; regular support and encouragement to further improve their skills and knowledge. Staff were undertaking qualifications and were given regular opportunities to discuss their performance with the management team. The competencies of staff were regularly assessed and recorded to ensure an appropriate standard of care was delivered.

People benefited from staff who felt valued by the service and were happy in their work. They felt listened to and involved in the development of the service. They had confidence in the management team.

People were treated in a respectful, compassionate and caring manner. They told us they felt in control of their lives. Staff demonstrated that they understood the importance of promoting people’s dignity, privacy and independence. They gave examples of a caring and empathetic approach to the people they supported.

Staff had received training in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and demonstrated they understood the importance of gaining people’s consent before assisting them.

Care and support was delivered in a person-centred way as the service had completed thorough assessments of people’s needs. People received individualised care as their care plans had been developed in collaboration with them. The service regularly reviewed people’s needs and made changes as required.

Staff assisted people, where necessary, to access healthcare services. Staff had a good understanding of people’s healthcare needs and demonstrated they had the knowledge to manage emergency situations should they arise.

Where required, staff supported people to maintain their interests and avoid social isolation. The service arranged events for people who used the service and responded positively to their social needs. The service was making links with the community and had worked jointly with other professionals to maintain people’s well-being.

The management team demonstrated an inclusive approach to the management of the service and people had confidence in them. They were supportive, accessible and actively encouraged people to comment on the service they provided.

Complaints were taken seriously and responded to in good time. Although people had no

Eight people spoken with in the lounge told us, “These care staff go one step beyond what is expected.” “They are a band of angels.” “I would not want to move anywhere else.” Three people spoken with in their individual flats were happy with the care and support provided. One person said, “Staff come when I need them and we regularly go through my care plan. We make sure the information is correct and then I sign it.” This told us people were involved with their care needs.

We found that staff were trained, had the necessary protective clothing and had access to antibacterial cleaning solutions to use when necessary. Areas of potential risk of infection had cleaning schedules. All areas we visited were clean. People using this service were protected from the risk of the spread of infections as much as possible.

People were supported to be independent with their medication needs. However, all staff were trained and able to help those who required support. Medications were managed safely in a method that best suited the individual person.

We received a high level of comments stating how well the staff were supported by management with training, supervision and appraisals. We were told a number of times, by staff and people using this service, how supportive the manager was and how staff were encouraged to train and develop their skills.

We gained lots of information on the quality of the service provision. We read positive comments in a compliments and concerns book. We read 2012 survey results that were positive and read the complaints that were acted upon. Audits were in place and care records were regularly reviewed. People were cared for by a service that monitored the quality of the service it provided.

People we spoke with said they were happy living in Redmayne View and spoke highly of the staff, with comments such as, "Very caring." and, "Always professional, friendly and polite."

One person we spoke with told us that, "The staff are always polite and respectful - I don't think you'll find anywhere as good as here."

This person also told us that they knew exactly what had been written in their care plan and said they always read the notes that staff wrote following a visit to their flat. When asked if they were happy with, and agreed with, what the staff wrote, they said: "Absolutely. I would definitely say something if they wrote anything that wasn't accurate but that's never been an issue. The only thing I occasionally pull them up on is when they spell my name wrong."

We were told by a person using the service that one of the things that impressed them most, was how all the staff totally respected 'client confidentiality'.

We saw staff going about their duties during our inspection and observed the atmosphere to be cheerful, relaxed and comfortable, with friendly interactions between the staff and people using the service.

People we spoke with, who used the service, said they knew how to make a complaint or raise any concerns. They also told us that they felt they were listened to and that any concerns were taken seriously by staff.