This inspection took place on 23 November 2016. We gave the provider 24 hours’ notice because the location was a small care home for younger adults who are often out during the day and we needed to be sure that someone would be in. The last inspection of the service was in November 2013 when we found it was meeting all of the standards we inspected.

16 Lumley Road is a care home for up to six people with a learning disability or people living on the autistic spectrum. When we inspected the service, six people were living there. The service had a registered manager who had been in post for 21 years. 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 using the service and their relatives told us people were cared for safely in the service. The provider had systems to protect people that staff knew about and followed.

There were enough staff to support people and the provider carried out checks to make sure new staff were suitable to work in the service. Staff received the training they needed to support people, they treated people with kindness and patience and people did not have to wait for support from staff.

People were able to choose where they spent their time and they told us they enjoyed the activities and holidays they went on and the food provided in the service. People took part in a range of activities in the home and the local community, both with staff support and alone if they were able to go out independently. The provider produced care plans in formats people could understand and involved people and their relatives in planning the support people received.

People had access to the healthcare services they needed and received the medicines they needed safely.

The registered manager and staff understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). We saw no examples of people being deprived of their liberty unlawfully.

The service had a registered manager who had worked in the service for a number of years. The provider and registered manager had systems to monitor quality in the service and make improvements.

The provider encouraged people using the service and their relatives to comment on the care and support people received.

During our visit we met with four people who used the service and spoke with three of them about the service they received. We also spoke with the registered manager and two care staff.

Our observations of staff practice showed that people were receiving effective, safe and appropriate care, which was designed to meet their specific needs. We saw that people felt comfortable in approaching staff and asking for assistance. People were relaxed and content in their surroundings. Staff engaged positively with people using the service to encourage them to communicate their consent, wishes and choices.

Three people we spoke with told us that they were happy with the care and support they received. One person told us, “I feel like my home and I am happy living here.” Another person said, "I like it here and staff are nice."

People told us that staff treated them with respect and promoted their privacy. They told us they felt they would be listened to if they raised any concerns.

People were protected against the risks associated with medicines because the provider had appropriate arrangements in place to manage medicines.

People were cared for, or supported by, suitably qualified, skilled and experienced staff.

People were protected from the risks of inadequate nutrition and dehydration.

Staff told us that they have received regular training and that they felt confident to carry out their roles and meet the needs of people using the service.

We found that the provider had a system in place to monitor the quality of the service they provided and we found that people were generally satisfied with the care and treatment they received.

There were four people living at the home at the time of our inspection. When we arrived two of them were out and two were relaxing in the lounge. We spoke to the manager and to both staff members on duty. We spoke to all four of the people who lived at the home, two of them at some length. One showed us around the home and told us what his life was like.

All of the people who live at the home were very positive about the service they receive, as were the staff about the provider and the training and support they had received.

The people who used the service confirmed that they were able to make choices about their lives and that they wanted to live at the home. One had a job and another went out alone nearly every day. We observed processes for decision-making as well as care plans, policies and procedures and risk assessments.

There was a safeguarding policy and the staff we spoke to were fully aware of this and described what they would do if they felt they needed to report something. The people who lived at the service also told us that they would be able to report their concerns or make complaints if necessary. Records were complete and up to date. We saw an accessible complaints procedure and residents handbook in their bedrooms.

Having assessed the evidence we considered the service demonstrated how it met the safety and care needs of the people living in the home.

We spoke with four people who live in the service. They all told us that they like living in the home and that they feel safe.

People we spoke with said that regular meetings take place and they are consulted about their support plan.

One person told us that they have employment and two people told us that they use local transport.

People are supported to go food shopping. One person showed us a pictorial food menu in the kitchen. This assists them with choosing their preferred meals.

People attend a range of activities and social events. One person told us that they had been away on holiday to Greece this year.