At our last inspection in December 2015 we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no 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.

Rutland House is a Residential Care Home. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Rutland House accommodates up to seven people in one adapted building, where people had access to communal areas along with their own individual flats. At the time of the inspection there were seven people using the service.

Registering the Right Support has values which include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. This is to ensure people with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen. The home was meeting the principles of this policy.

People were kept safe from abuse and had their risks were assessed and planned for. People were supported by sufficient staff. Medicines were administered safely. People were protected from the risk of cross infection. The provider had systems in place to learn when things went wrong.

People’s needs were assessed and care plans were in place to meet them. Staff had training which supported them in their role. People were supported to receive consistent care in an environment that was designed meet their needs. People were supported to choose their meals and eat and drink safely. People had their health needs met.

People had choice and control of their lives and staff were aware of how to support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service were supportive of this practice.

People received support from staff who were caring. People could make choices and were supported to maintain their independence. People had their communication needs assessed and their privacy and dignity was protected by staff.

People received support which was person centred care and staff understood their preferences. People understood how to make a complaint about the service.

The registered manager submitted notifications as required and understood their responsibilities. The rating from the last inspection was on display.

People were involved in the service and there were regular checks on the quality. There were audits in place and action plans which were used to drive improvement.

This inspection took place on 14 December 2015 and was unannounced.

The service was registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to seven people. People who used the service had a learning disability. At the time of our inspection seven people were using the service.

The service 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.

People felt safe. Staff were aware of how to recognise the different types of abuse that may occur and how to report concerns. Systems were in place to protect people from avoidable harm and abuse and these were used when required.

People’s risks were assessed and monitored in order to keep them safe. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs and we saw that people were supported to access the community and attend appointments. People’s medicines were managed safely so that they received their medicines as prescribed.

People were supported and encouraged to make their own decisions. When they were unable to do this we saw that current legislation and guidance was followed to ensure that people’s legal and human rights were respected.

Staff were trained to deliver effective care to the people who used the service. People were supported to have enough to eat and drink to maintain a healthy diet and mealtimes were flexible to meet people’s preferences.

People had access to range of healthcare professionals and were supported to monitor their health needs.

People were treated with kindness and compassion by staff who knew them well. They were encouraged and supported to be involved in making decisions about their own care and support. People’s privacy was respected and they were encouraged to be independent as they could be.

People received care that met their preferences and they were enabled to follow their interests. People’s goals were recorded in their care plans and staff were aware of these and supported them to achieve what was set out.

People were encouraged to give their feedback about the service at regular meetings and action was taken when needed. There was an accessible easy read complaints procedure available and people felt able to approach staff if they had any concerns.

There was a friendly and supportive atmosphere at the home and staff enjoyed working there. Staff felt supported by the management team and were involved in developing the service.

The management team and provider completed quality checks and acted upon any issues identified.

Rutland House is an annex to a larger care home which also caters for people with a learning disability. It was registered independently of the other home and had its own dedicated staff who provided care and support to the people who used the service. Rutland House staff were supported by a management team and registered manager based at the main home.

At the time of our inspection there were three people using the service at Rutland House. In order to make our judgements we spoke with all three people, six members of staff and the registered manager.

We saw that people who used the service were treated with respect and dignity and were involved in activities which brought them into contact with the local community.

We saw that people were kept safe. They had care plans with risk assessments and advice and guidance to staff on how to keep the people they cared for safe. We saw that the people who used the service received compassionate care. A member of staff said, "You all become one big family really".

The service had a system to ensure the safe storage and administration of medicines.

Staff told us they enjoyed working at Rutland House. We saw records which showed that staff received training opportunities and were supported by the registered manager.

Systems were in place which ensured people received responsive and effective care appropriate to their needs. We saw that care plans were reviewed regularly and updated to reflect changes in people's needs.