Swallow is a domiciliary care service which provides care and support to people who have a learning disability. People who use the services of Swallow live in a range of supported living accommodation, including private and shared houses, and self-contained flats. At the time of our inspection there were 30 people receiving personal care and support from the service

At our last inspection we rated the service Good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of Good, and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

Why the service is rated good:

People told us that they felt safe when they were supported by staff from the service. Staff were trained in protecting people from abuse, and understood their responsibilities.

People were supported to receive their prescribed medicines safely.

We found that safe recruitment and selection procedures were in place. There were enough staff in post and they had enough time to spend with people. People received a consistent and reliable service overall.

Assessments and regular reviews of support to meet people's individual needs were carried out. Care plans were detailed, up to date and easy to read. People were encouraged to make choices about activities they were involved in, and to be active members of their community. Staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible, and policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Policies and procedures were in place to manage health and safety. This included the management of incidents and accidents.

Staff helped people to access healthcare appointments when necessary. Health and social care professionals were involved in people’s care, plans and reviews.

Staff were trained in a range of relevant subjects. They received regular supervision and appraisals, and found the team supportive. Staff we spoke with were enthusiastic about their role and the service.

People were positive about the service and the staff who supported them. They told us that staff were caring and knew them well.

Staff and professionals spoke positively about the management of the service. People who used the service took a lead in its management and direction. The management and senior staff team carried out regular checks to monitor the quality of the care and support people received.

There was a registered manager at the service who had a clear understanding of the values and focus of the service, including future developments and plans.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

This inspection took place on the 13 February 2016 and was announced. A day’s notice of the inspection was given because the service is small and we needed to be sure that a senior member of staff would be available. When the service was last inspected in November 2013 there were no breaches of the legal requirements identified.

Swallow is registered to provide care and support to people who have a learning disability. People live in a range of supported living accommodation which includes a shared house and self-contained flats. Each person holds a tenancy agreement with a housing association for their accommodation. At the time of our inspection there were ten people receiving personal care from the service.

A registered manager was in post at the time of inspection. 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.

Staffing numbers were sufficient to meet people’s needs and this ensured people were supported safely. Staff we spoke with felt the staffing level was appropriate. People were supported with their medicines by staff and people had their medicines when they needed them.

People’s rights were being upheld in line with the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. This is a legal framework to protect people who are unable to make certain decisions themselves.

People had their physical and mental health needs monitored. All care records that we viewed showed

people had access to healthcare professionals according to their specific needs.

People were encouraged to maintain contact with their family and were therefore not isolated from those people closest to them.

People received effective care from the staff that supported them. Staff were caring towards people and there was a good relationship between people and staff. People and their representatives were involved in the planning of their care and support. Staff demonstrated and in-depth understanding of the needs and preferences of the people they cared for.

The support provided to people met their needs. Supporting records highlighted personalised information about what was important to people and how to support them. People were involved in activities of their choice.

There were systems in place to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service. The service had recently been awarded a certificate by the local authority for their commitment to leadership, attendance management, mental health and well-being.

We visited Swallow to look at the care and welfare of people who used the service. Most people were out at activities during the day but we were able to speak with three people during our visit and two briefly when they returned at the end of the day.

All of the people we spoke to seemed happy and relaxed and willing to talk to us. The staff we saw interacted well with people and when we spoke to them it was clear that they knew and understood the individual care needs of the people living there.

We saw that systems were in place to involve people in planning their care and that risks had been identified to ensure the safety and welfare of people.

We saw that systems were in place to protect people from abuse and that staff had received training and understood their role in monitoring and protecting people.

We saw evidence that staff were well trained and supported and staff that we spoke to confirmed that they enjoyed their jobs and were proud of their work.

We saw systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and saw that the manager sought feedback and views from staff and people who use the service.

People were very complimentary about the support and care they received. Comments included "The staff are great” and the "staff are cool".

People were involved in every aspect of their lives. People attended regular "house meetings" staff recruitment and board committee meetings. This enabled them to influence the way the service was run.

People were supported to develop and maintain independent living skills. This included shopping, laundry and cleaning. People were also supported to maintain social and recreational opportunities.