We carried out this announced inspection on 20 September 2016.

Swallowdale is located in the market town of Alford in Lincolnshire. It is registered to provide care and support for up to eight people who experience needs related to learning disabilities. The home is part of the larger organisation of Linkage Community Trust and is supported by a team of regional and head office staff. Eight people were living in the home on the day of our inspection.

There was an established registered manager in post at the time of the inspection. 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The registered manager and staff understood what was important to each person and they worked closely with people and their families to ensure each person had a meaningful and enjoyable life. People were supported in a kind and caring way. Staff recognised people’s right to privacy, respected confidential information and promoted people’s dignity.

The registered manager and staff knew how to respond to any risks they had identified and whenever it was needed took action to make sure people were kept safe from harm. Background checks had been completed before any new staff were appointed and there were enough staff on duty to provide the care described in each person’s care record. Clear arrangements were in place for ordering, storing, administering and disposing of medicines and people had access to a range of visiting health and social care professionals when they required both routine and more specialist help.

Staff had ensured that people’s rights were respected by helping them to make decisions for themselves wherever possible. This support was given in line with legal guidance. CQC is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and to report on what we find. DoLS are in place to protect people where they do not have capacity to make decisions and where it is considered necessary to restrict their freedom in some way, usually to protect themselves. At the time of the inspection three people were subject to a DoLS authorisation and we saw that the conditions of the authorisations were being met.

People were provided with a good choice of nutritious meals. When necessary, people were given any extra help they needed to make sure that they had enough to eat and drink to keep them healthy.

The registered manager ran the home in an open and inclusive way and people and their relatives were invited to give feedback about the quality of the care provided. The registered provider encouraged people, their relatives and staff to speak out if they had any concerns. Formal systems were in place for handling and resolving complaints.

The provider and registered manager had systems in place to regularly assess and monitor care practice and to ensure people received a good quality of care. The systems in place meant that any shortfalls in quality could be quickly identified and improvements made as needed

We carried out a visit on 19th December 2014. We looked at the personal care or treatment records of people who used the service and observed how people were being cared for.

As a part of our inspection we talked with people who used the service and with staff. We were shown how staff made efforts to improve the quality of life for people who lived at the home. An example was the use of a Skype video telephone link which was used to enable people at the home to see as well as speak to family members who lived in other parts of the country.

People spoke positively about the care and support they received. They told us they liked living in the home, and confirmed they were supported to make choices and decisions about the care they received. Some people who lived at the home told us: “I like everything about the home- I like living here” and “I like this house. I make dinner. Go home to visit parents regularly.”

As part of our inspection we spoke with some people who used the service. They spoke positively about the care and support they received. They told us they liked living in the home and confirmed they were supported to make choices and decisions about the care they received.

One person told us, "I like going swimming." Another told us, "I love it here."

People told us their care was personalised to their needs and staff used their prefered name when speaking to them. They were able to tell us the name of their key workers. One person said, "My key worker does a lot with me." Another person told us how they liked art and craft and showed us some work they were currently doing. They said, "I like craft, gardening and walking."