We carried out this announced inspection between 10 and 16 August 2017.

The service was registered at its current address in February 2016. This was our first inspection of the service at this address.

The service was last inspected, at a previous address, in July 2014 and assessed as good. After that inspection we found that the provider for the service was not registered correctly. We discussed this with Cumbria County Council and they submitted an application to correct their registration details.

South Cumbria Domiciliary Support Service provides support to adults who have a learning disability. The service provides supported living services to people living in the South Lakeland and Furness districts of Cumbria. Supported living services involve a person living in their own home and receiving care and/or support in order to promote their independence. The care they receive is regulated by the Care Quality Commission but the accommodation is not.

The service also operates a Shared Lives scheme. This part of the service recruits and supports Shared Lives carers. The Shared Lives carers are self-employed and provide support and accommodation to adults who have a disability and who are not able to live independently. People live in the Shared Lives carer’s home as part of their family. The Shared Lives scheme provided short and long term accommodation for people.

At the time of our inspection 30 people received support from the supported living service and 13 people received support from the Shared Lives scheme.

There was a registered manager employed to run the service. 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 were safe receiving support from the service. There were enough support staff and Shared Lives carers to provide people’s support.

People were protected from abuse. Robust procedures were used to check that people recruited to the service were suitable to care for individuals.

Hazards to people’s safety had been identified and actions taken to manage risks. Risk assessments were used in a positive way to support people to gain greater independence. People received the guidance they needed to remain safe in their homes and in the local community.

Medicines were handled safely and people received their medicines as they required. People were supported to manage their own medicines.

The support staff and Shared Lives carers had received training to give them the skills and knowledge to provide people’s support. The service employed supervisors who gave support and guidance to the Shared Lives carers and support staff.

People received the support they required with preparing and enjoying their meals and drinks.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and the staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People were treated in a kind and caring way. The support staff and Shared Lives carers knew people they supported well.

Care was planned and provided to meet people’s needs. People who used the service and those who knew them well were included in developing individuals’ care plans.

People were supported to gain greater independence and to learn new skills. They were supported to follow activities that they enjoyed and to maintain relationships that were important to them.

The registered provider had a procedure for receiving and handling complaints about the service.

The registered manager was supported by a team of supervisors. People knew how they could contact a senior person in the service if they needed to. The registered manager and supervisors carried out checks on the service to ensure