Residential Support Services provides personal care to adults with Learning Disabilities. The service provides support and social interaction to enable people to become more independent in the community. The office is based in a converted school where day services are also provided. At the time of this inspection the service was supporting four people with personal care.

Our last inspection at Residential Support Services took place on 21 June 2016 when the service was rated Good overall.

There was a manager at the service who was registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Staff recruitment records were not robust and did not promote people’s safety.

There were a variety of methods available for the registered provider to assess and monitor the quality of the service; however, records of these checks were not being maintained. We found quality assurance processes were not effective in ensuring compliance with regulations and identifying areas requiring improvement and acting on them.

Staff were provided with supervision for development and support. The frequency and consistency of supervision needed some improvement.

Relatives spoke very positively about the support provided to their family member. They said their family member was safe and support workers were respectful and kind. Relatives told us the staff of Residential Support Services provided a consistent and reliable service that met their family member’s needs.

We found there were systems in place to protect people from the risk of harm. Staff we spoke with were able to explain the procedures to follow should an allegation of abuse be made.

Assessments identified risks to people, and management plans to reduce the risks were in place to ensure people's safety.

Appropriate arrangements were in place for the safe administration of medicines.

There were appropriate numbers of staff employed to meet people’s needs and provide a flexible service.

Staff were provided with relevant training to ensure they had the skills needed to support people.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The registered provider’s policies and systems supported this practice. People had consented to receiving care and support from Residential Support Services.

Staff knew the person they were supporting well and had developed a positive relationship with them. In our conversations with staff they displayed compassion, consideration and respect for people.

Families of people supported told us they could talk to the support staff and the registered manager. They said they had regular contact with the registered manager and if they had any concerns or worries they were confident the registered manager and staff would listen to them and look at ways of resolving their issues.

We found breaches in two regulations of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. This was a breach of Regulation 19, Fit and proper persons employed and a repeated breach of Regulation 17, Good governance.

You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.

The inspection was unannounced, which meant the provider did not know we were coming. It took place on 21 June 2016. The home was previously inspected in February 2014, and at the time was meeting all regulations assessed during the inspection.

The home had a registered 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.

Residential Support Services provides personal care to adults with Learning Disabilities. The service provides support and social interaction to enable people to become more independent in the community. The office is based in a converted school where day services are also provided.

There was a strong person centred and caring culture in the home. (Person centred means that care is tailored to meet the needs and aspirations of each person, as an individual.) The vision of the service was shared by the management team and staff. All staff we spoke with were passionate about providing care that was individualised and ensuring people who used the service fulfilled their goals.

We found there were enough staff with the right skills, knowledge and experience to meet people’s needs. The provider followed a robust recruitment procedure to ensure safe recruitment. Staff were provided with appropriate training, support and supervision to help them meet people’s needs.

There were systems in place to manage risks, safeguarding matters and medication and this ensured people’s safety. Medication procedures were being improved at the time of our inspection. Where people displayed behaviour that was challenging the training and guidance given to staff helped them to manage situations in a consistent and positive way which protected people’s dignity and rights.

People received care and support that was responsive to their needs. Care plans provided detailed information about people so staff knew exactly how they wished to be cared for in a personalised way. A wide and varied range of activities was on offer for people to participate in if they wished.

We found the service to be meeting the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). The staff we spoke with had a good understanding of the requirements.

.

Systems were in place which continuously assessed and monitored the quality of the service, including obtaining feedback from people who used the service and their relatives.

We visited the services office and spoke to the registered manager, nominated Individual and support staff. We spoke via the phone with relatives of people who used the service.

We found people’s views and experiences were taken into account in the way the service was provided and delivered in relation to their care. People’s support plans showed that they had been involved in the planning of their care and support and choices about how they spent their day.

People experienced care, treatment and support that met their needs and protected their rights. Relatives of people who used the service told us they were ‘very happy’ with the care and support their loved one received. Their comments included, "All the staff are dedicated and really care. I cannot praise them enough,” “Staff really respect his privacy,” “This service should be cloned for every young person who needs support. Thank the staff for me.”

There were clear processes in place to minimise and prevent abuse from occurring in the service. Staff had received training on safeguarding people and were aware of process’ to follow should they suspect abuse.

The provider had an effective recruitment and selection procedure in place to ensure that staff were appropriately employed.

Relatives of people who used the service said they had no concerns about the service and said that would be able to speak with the manager if they did have concerns.