Shulas is a residential care home for six people with learning difficulties. At the time of our inspection there were six people living in the home. The home was divided up into two flats. There were three people who lived in each flat.

There was a registered manager in the home. 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.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good

People were supported by staff who knew how to keep them safe from harm. Staff had received training in safeguarding and were aware of how to report any concerns. There were safe practices around recruitment and this further ensured that only suitable staff were employed to care for people in Shulas.

Individual risks to people had been identified and there was clear guidance about how these risks could be managed and mitigated. Risks within the environment were also managed in a safe way and regular servicing of the utilities as well as regular health and safety checks meant that any hazards could be identified in a timely manner.

People were supported to take their medicines in a safe way.

People are supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. However, people’s mental capacity was not always assessed and best interests decisions were not documented.

Staff received training relevant to their role in order to effectively support people with their health and mental wellbeing. People were supported to make healthy meals and were supported to access relevant healthcare professionals where needed.

Staff were caring and knew people’s support needs well. People were supported to be as independent as possible and were able to access a range of activities and groups in the community.

People were involved in planning their care and were treated as individuals. People’s care files were reviewed regularly and reflected people’s current care and support needs.

The registered manager was supportive and approachable. There was frequent communication between the management team, people living in Shulas and the staff. This allowed for everyone living and working in the home to get involved and share ideas about the running of the service. There were effective systems in place to monitor and assess the quality of service being delivered.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

This inspection was undertaken by one inspector on 6 February and was unannounced.

Shulas provides accommodation, care and support for up to six people with a learning disability. At the time of our inspection there were five people living in the home.

The home had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Staff understood how to recognise and report concerns if they suspected people were experiencing abuse. Staff had also received appropriate training in respect of protecting people. People told us that they felt safe living in the home.

People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff, who received regular support and supervision, as well as training that was relevant to their roles. Robust recruitment procedures were in place and staff were only employed within the home after all pre-employment checks had been completed satisfactorily.

Medicines were stored, managed and administered safely.

People’s care records contained appropriately detailed risk assessments and guidance for staff to follow, which covered relevant aspects of people’s daily lives. These helped ensure that people were supported and cared for safely and that risks to their health, welfare and safety were minimised.

Staff interacted with people in a natural, warm and friendly manner and people were comfortable in the presence of all members of staff.

The CQC is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and to report on what we find. We found that the manager and staff were knowledgeable about when a request for a DoLS would be required.

People’s individual dietary needs were catered for in line with their care plans and people were able to have sufficient amounts to eat and drink.

All the people living in the home were involved in planning their own care and support. Care records were person centred and provided clear information regarding people’s histories, as well as their needs, preferences and choices.

People undertook work, hobbies and leisure activities of their choosing. People also chose when and what they wanted to do and where they wanted to spend their time.

Everyone we spoke with told us that they knew how to make a complaint if they needed to and that they felt they were listened to and any concerns taken seriously.

People living in the home were fully involved in the running of the home, including many aspects relating to the further improvement and the development of the service as a whole.

The home was being effectively managed and regular audits were completed, covering areas such as safeguarding, medication, health and safety, care plans and the overall environment.

One person we spoke with told us, “They (the staff) are good and look after me well. They know me and know how to help me when I need it”.

Another person told us that they knew what was in their care records and that they had regular reviews of their care with the staff.

We spoke with two people about the meals in Shulas. One person told us that they were vegetarian and said, “The staff always make sure there’s vegetarian food for me”.

Another person told us, “I chose the dinner tonight; we’re having steak and kidney pie. We had tuna pasta bake last night. We have a cooked breakfast every Saturday and a roast dinner every Sunday”.

One person we spoke with told us that they looked after their own medication and had the key to the locked cupboard in their room. This person said, “I keep my pills in my room and the staff have made me a sheet to help me remember when to take my pills and remind me when I’ve already taken them”.

A member of staff we spoke with told us that they were very well supported by the manager and the organisation as a whole. This person told us that they received one-to-one supervisions every two months and also received an annual appraisal with their manager.

People told us they knew how to make a complaint if they needed to and made comments such as: “…I can talk to the staff who look after me…”, “I can talk to any of the staff whenever I want, they’re all good…” and, “Yes, I am safe here and I can tell the staff if I’m not happy…”

We met and spoke with two people who lived in Shulas, during the morning of our inspection. Both people told us that they had support plans, which the staff helped them with. One person told us that the staff helped them a lot with theirs, as they found it hard to understand some things.

Later in the day, we met and spoke with another person, on their return from work. This person showed us their weekly activity schedule and gave us permission to look through their support plan, which they said they worked on with the staff.

All three people said they liked the staff and that they had weekly meetings, where they talked about what they had done during the past week, made suggestions for outings or activities and chose the menu for the coming week.

People told us that their privacy and dignity were respected by staff. One person told us that they had a key to their room and that staff always knocked on the door and waited to be asked, before they went in.

One person we spoke with told us: "I am really happy living here. I see my friends a lot and I'm always busy."

Another person told us that the staff helped them, whenever they needed it.

All three people we spoke with told us they felt safe and well looked after in Shulas.

One person said, of the staff: "They're very good and I can talk to them whenever I want. They always listen to me, which is nice when I'm worried about something."

One person invited us to see their room and told us: "It's a very nice room. I know where everything is and I like to keep it clean and tidy."