This announced inspection took place on 4 October 2016. The provider was given short notice because the location provides a short break service and we needed to be sure that someone would be in the office. The inspection was carried out by an adult social care inspector. We last inspected the service in January 2014 when no breaches of legal requirements were identified.

Sefton New Directions Limited - Aintree Lane is a short stay residential care home which provides respite for adults with learning disabilities. It is located in the Aintree district of Sefton within reach of good transport links to Ormskirk and surrounding areas. At the time of the inspection four people were staying in the home for short term breaks.

The service 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.

We saw that people who stayed at Aintree Lane were well cared for. One person’s relative said staff supported people well.

Staff were appropriately trained and skilled and provided care in a safe and well maintained environment. Staff fully understood their roles and responsibilities.

The staff had completed various training sessions including training on safeguarding and the Mental Capacity Act to make sure that the care and support provided was safe and effective to meet their needs.

The provider had safe recruitment procedures. They employed skilled staff and took steps to make sure that staff were suitable to provide care and support that met the needs of people who used Aintree Lane.

The provider offered choices for when someone wanted to stay and often people requested dates when their friends were staying. They planned when they needed to bring more staff into the service, especially when they had planned group activities and trips out.

Staff working in the service understood the needs of the people coming to stay and we saw that care and support was provided with respect and kindness. People who used the service told us they were all very happy with the service and their care.

Staff were aware of nutritional needs and made sure they supported people to have choices in offering a good variety of food and drink during each person’s stay.

Throughout our inspection we saw examples of good communication and involving people who were enjoying their break at the service. People told us they felt included and consulted in the planning of their support and were treated with respect. People told us they received the care and support they requested and needed.

Everyone we spoke with said they felt comfortable to raise any concerns with staff; nobody had any concerns or complaints about the service.

The provider had systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service. The registered manager assessed and monitored the quality of care consistently. The service encouraged feedback from people who use the service and their families, which they used to make improvements to the respite service.

We saw that people living at Aintree Lane were well cared for. Relatives said staff supported people well. One of the people who was staying at the home told us, ‘’It’s nice here. I go shopping and the staff are nice.’’

Staff told us the district nursing service provided on-going clinical support and peoples GP’s visited regularly to review people as needed. The care files contained daily records of the care and support people received and this included visits by health professionals where appropriate.

The home was being maintained satisfactorily with all areas safe and comfortable for people to live in. We looked at some of the maintenance records and also saw good on-going monitoring [auditing] of the service carried out by the provider.

People living at Aintree Lane and their relatives spoken with on the day of our inspection were very positive about the staff and the care provided. Relatives said that staff were available and provided good support. We saw staff interacting and supporting people during the inspection.

We looked at a series of records maintained on the home. These ranged from care records for people living at the home, maintenance records and staff records. All of these were maintained satisfactorily.

Because of the nature of their care needs people we spoke with on our visit displayed limited communication. We also spoke with two relatives. From the comments we collected we were told people were happy with the service provided. They told us they were happy with the way staff supported people.

People we saw were relaxed in the home and staff made time to interact and ask after their wellbeing. A relative we spoke with said, ‘’I’ve no problems. My [relative] is happy to stay and seems happy with things.’’

We spoke with the manager and four staff members. They told us they had received training and understood how to report any concerns or allegations of abuse. The staff told us they felt supported in their job and received supervision from their manager.

We looked at how people were involved in the quality of the service and how opinions were sought. A relative said the managers were easy to contact and responsive. They were able to speak about a concern some time ago but this was sorted out.

Relatives of people using the service told us; “I like the place, everyone is very nice and kind”,” My daughter looks forward to being there, she loves it”, “Staff keep us informed about everything that happens there”, “Staff are friendly and helpful and get on well with all the people who come to stay”, “My son counts the days to when he can stay again, he loves it so much”.

The people using the service who were able to tell us said that they were happy staying in the home. Comments included; “This is unique, you don’t find homes like this; everyone cares. Everyone thinks of it as home”.

Relatives told us that the home uses a person centred care plan which details every aspect of people’s needs. Comments included; “Staff know everything about my son’s daily routines, heath needs, choices and capabilities. They make sure wherever possible he lives his life as he wishes while he is in his respite placement”. They said that staff worked hard to ensure people using the service were able to enjoy their stay at Aintree Lane. Comments included; “Staff make sure that my son has outings and interests of his choice during his stay. They take him bowling, shopping and to a disco. Staff always send a report home to me to let me know what he has done”, “The staff are excellent communicators to my daughter and me. They explain everything that has happened during her stay”.

When asked about the quality monitoring of the service relatives told us; “I am fine and would ask if I had a problem”, “Staff always send a report back to me when the respite has finished and ask if I have any comments”, “We enjoy frank and open discussion with staff and communication systems are excellent”, “We know that staff want the best for the people staying at the home and work hard to make sure they get it”.