The inspection was undertaken on 4 April 2017 and was unannounced

The provider of Sadlers Place is registered to provide accommodation for up to nine people who may have a learning disability, or autistic spectrum disorder, older people, physical disabilities, sensory impairment and younger adults. At the time of our inspection nine people lived at the home. Bedrooms, bathrooms and toilets are situated over two floors with stairs and passenger lift access to the first floor. People have use of communal areas including lounges, activities room and dining room.

There was a registered manager in post who was supported by a deputy 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 told us the staff who cared for them understood their safety needs. Staff cared for people in ways which promoted their safety, based on people’s individual risks. Staff knew what action to take to protect people from the risk of potential abuse. There were enough staff employed to care for people so they received care promptly and their safety and well-being needs were met. Where people wanted assistance to take their medicines this was given by staff who knew how to do this safely.

People benefited from receiving support from staff with the knowledge and skills to care for them and staff recognised people’s rights. People enjoyed their mealtime experiences, and had enough to eat and drink to remain well. When people required medical assistance and advice from health professionals this was facilitated.

People had developed very caring relationships between people and staff. People and their relatives were extremely positive about the staff that supported them. Staff worked in ways which made people feel valued and included and recognised them as individuals. Staff took time to chat to people and show interest in how they spent their time. People were encouraged to make their own day to day decisions about their care and maintain as much independence as possible. People were supported by staff to achieve their ambitions. Where people needed support to do this this was given by staff. People’s right to privacy was taken into account in the way staff cared for them.

Positive comments were received about the way the home was managed and people and staff were encouraged to make suggestions for developing care further. Staff knew how they were expected to care for people. The registered manager and provider checked the quality of the care provided and people and their relatives were actively encouraged to give feedback on the care they received and involved in the running of the home, so improvements would be driven through. The registered manager encouraged people to become quality checkers so they could actively assist and keep people at the heart of the improvement of services throughout the provider’s homes.

This unannounced inspection took place on 27 May 2015. At our last inspection on 3 May 2013 we found the provider was meeting the requirements of the regulations we inspected.

Sadlers Place is a residential home providing accommodation for up to nine younger adults with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder, older people, physical disabilities and sensory impairment. At the time of our inspection nine people were living there. The home had a registered manager in post. 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 told us that they felt safe at the home. We saw that the provider had systems in place to protect people from potential harm. People were supported by staff who understood how to protect people from abuse. Staff understood their responsibility to report issues of concern.

Risks to people had been assessed and appropriate equipment was available for staff to use. People received their medicines at the correct time and as prescribed. Medicines were managed, stored and administered safely.

People and their relatives told us there were enough staff to support people living at the home, which staff confirmed. The provider had safe processes in place to recruit new staff and carried out pre-employment checks. Staff completed an induction, received regular one to one meetings with their manager and had the skills and training they needed to meet peoples’ needs.

Assessments of people’s capacity to consent had been completed where necessary and records and decisions had been completed in people’s best interest. The registered manager and staff understood their responsibility to protect people’s rights.

People we spoke with were happy with the food and felt that they had a choice of what they would like to eat and drink. Healthy option meals were available for people to consider. People had access to healthcare professionals, such as doctors and speech and language teams, to ensure that their health care needs were met.

People told us staff were kind and caring in their approach. People and their relatives felt listened to and involved in developing a plan of their care needs. Staff understood people’s choices and preferences and respected their dignity and privacy.

People were supported to maintain relationships. Relatives we spoke with said they were made to feel welcome when they visited the home. People were supported to maintain their interests and hobbies and were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities with others or individually.

People told us the home was well managed with an open positive culture. People said the management team was approachable and visible. People and their relatives felt comfortable to raise any concerns or complaints with the registered manager or staff team. The provider had a system in place to respond to people’s complaints and concerns.

There were audit systems in place to monitor the quality of the service people received. There were regular checks of people’s care plans, medicine administration, incident and accidents. There was evidence that learning and improvement took place from audits and changes were made to improve the home.