We undertook an announced inspection on 18 and 19 January 2017.

We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice of our intention to undertake an inspection. This was because the organisation provides a domiciliary care service to people in their homes; we needed to be sure that someone would be available at the office.

The provider registered this service with us to provide personal care and support for people living at Noble House. They provide care in a supported living housing scheme. At the time of our inspection 25 people received support with personal care.

There was a registered manager for this service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered providers and registered managers 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 we spoke with said they had support from regular staff who knew them well. Staff we spoke with recognised the different types of abuse. There were systems in place to guide staff in reporting any concerns. Staff were knowledgeable about how to manage people’s individual risks, and were able to respond to people’s’ needs. People were supported to receive their medicines by trained staff who knew the risks associated with them.

Staff had up to date knowledge and training to support people. Staff always ensured people gave their consent to the support they received. The management team regularly reviewed how people were supported to make decisions. People were supported to eat and drink well when part of their identified needs. People we spoke with explained they were supported to make their own decisions and felt listened to by staff. People and their relatives told us staff would support them to access health professionals when they need to. People told us there was effective communication between themselves, staff and healthcare professionals.

People and their relatives said staff and management team were caring and kind. They said they were treated with dignity and respect, and encouraged to be as independent as possible. People said they were involved in making choices about how they were supported. Relatives told us they were involved as part of the team to support their family member. The management team were adaptable to changes in people’s needs and communicated changes to staff effectively.

People and their relatives knew how to raise complaints and the management team had arrangements in place to ensure people were listened to and appropriate action taken. Staff were involved in regular meetings, to share their views and concerns about the quality of the service. People and staff said the management team were accessible and supportive to them.

The management team monitored the quality of the service in an inclusive way. The registered manager ensured there was a culture of openness for people using the service and staff. The management team had systems in place to identify improvements and action them in a timely way.