This inspection took place on 16 November 2016. The inspection was announced, which meant the provider knew we would be visiting. This is because we wanted to make sure the provider, or someone who could act on their behalf, would be available to support the inspection. When the service was last inspected in February 2014 there were no breaches of the legal requirements identified.

Newbridge Hill is registered to provide accommodation and support for up to five people with sensory and associated needs. The services provided are independence training that includes risk assessments, self-medication, cooking skills, household management, money management and any other training that will assist independent living. At the time of our inspection there were five people living at the service.

A registered manager was in post at the time of 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 to people were assessed regularly and where required a risk management plan was in place to support people manage an identified risk and keep the person safe.

Safe recruitment procedures ensured all pre-employment requirements were completed before new staff were appointed and commenced their employment. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of abuse and knew the correct action to take if they were concerned about a person being at risk.

The provider understood the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and was aware of their legal responsibilities. Nobody within the service was subject to a DoLS authorisation.

People were supported by well trained staff that had sufficient knowledge and skills to enable them to care for people.

People were supported to maintain good health and had access to external health care professionals when required.

We had very positive feedback about the caring nature of the staff from people. Staff communicated with people in a meaningful way, taking an interest in what people were doing. People were supported by a committed small team who were passionate about their role.

The service was responsive to a person’s needs. People received good care that was personal to them and staff assisted them with the things they made the choices to do. We observed that people appeared content living in the service and they received the support they required.

Care records were personalised and described how people preferred to be supported. People undertook activities personal to them. People had access to a wide range of individualised, meaningful activities.

The provider had systems in place to receive and monitor any complaints that were made. The service had not received any formal complaints in the last twelve months.

Staff felt well supported by the deputy and registered manager. Staff were confident and knowledgeable of all aspects of the service.

People were encouraged by the provider to provide feedback on their experience of the service in order to monitor the quality of service provided. People had access to their own keyworkers. The keyworker had a special responsibility for the overall well-being of the person.

To ensure continuous improvement, the Head of Service conducted regular compliance audits. They reviewed issues such as; health and safety, incident and accident reports, risk assessments, fire safety, maintenance and the environment. The observations identified good practice and areas where improvements were required.

People in this service, together with some staff, were deaf, so everyone used British Sign Language. In this way, each person in the service was able to communicate their needs, thoughts and choices.

Staff were knowledgeable about each other's support. We saw that all interactions were respectful and patient. There was a relaxed, pleasant atmosphere during our visit. People also told us that they felt safe at this service.

Staff received training in safeguarding. One staff we met told us it "gave the team confidence" and "enabled them to raise concerns if any arose and to keep people safe".

People we met told us they were happy living at this service. One person proudly took us to their room and showed us how they had all their possessions around them. They told us they were "happy here".

Care records were person centred and accurately described each person’s needs and preferences. People were also supported to maintain their independence.

The service had a system whereby complaints and concerns were listened to and acted upon immediately, in order to improve quality.

We spoke with the five people using the service and four staff during the visit. We looked at two people’s care plans, medication records and some policies and procedures. We looked at two staff records.

We used a British Sign Language [BSL] interpreter throughout the inspection to ensure that that we could communicate properly with the people using the service and the staff who were deaf.

We observed care workers and people using the service communicating using sign language. We saw that this was open and both people using the service and the care workers were relaxed and happy, we saw a lot of laughter.

One person who lives at the service told us, "I am very happy now, I used to be sad, and”another said“I like living here and feel safe".

The people living at the home assisted with the cleaning of the communal areas, cooking and ensuring that their personal space was clean and tidy and their washing was done. One person told us, “We have a roster to do the cleaning, it works great".

We saw training records. One care worker told us, "There is a lot of training available, I enjoy this and it helps to improve practice.”

On the day of the visit both the people using the service and the staff were very excited as they were preparing for a holiday. One person told us, "We all agreed to go together on holiday. I'm really excited".

When we visited Newbridge Hill we took an 'expert by experience' with us. The expert by experience in this case was someone who is deaf themselves and has experience of communicating with deaf people with complex needs. We took an interpreter with us to further assist our communication with the ‘expert by experience’ and people who use the service. The purpose of involving an expert by experience is to help us understand the views of people using the service.

We spoke with people who used the service using sign language and other forms of communication such as lip reading.

People told us that they felt safe at the home and that the staff were" lovely”.

A member of staff told us “I get a lot out of working here. I like helping people reach their full potential ". Another staff member said” I am happy and confident in my role".

People told us that the food was ‘good’ and that there was plenty to eat at times that suited them. There was assistance for them to maintain their personal hygiene and that their privacy and dignity was respected. People told us that their rooms were well decorated and comfortable.