The Bungalow is a care home providing accommodation, personal care and support for up to five adults who have a learning disability, some of whom may also have a physical disability or mental health conditions. There were five people living at the home at the time of our inspection.

There was a registered manager in place. 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 on 25 June 2015, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good.

People were safe because they lived in a well maintained environment with enough staff available to provide the care they needed. The rota was planned to ensure there were sufficient staff to keep people safe and meet their needs. Additional staff were deployed if people’s needs changed or they required additional support.

Staff adopted a positive approach to risk-taking which enabled rather than restricting people. Staff understood any risks involved in people’s care and took steps to minimise them. Staff understood their roles in keeping people safe and protecting them from abuse. The provider carried out appropriate pre-employment checks before staff started work.

Medicines were managed safely. Accidents and incidents were reviewed to ensure any steps that could be taken to prevent a recurrence had been implemented. There were plans in place to ensure that people’s care would not be interrupted in the event of an emergency.

People’s care was provided by regular staff who knew their needs well and provided support in a consistent way. Staff had access to the induction, training and support they needed to do their jobs. People were supported to exercise 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.

People were supported to eat food they enjoyed and were encouraged to maintain a healthy diet. Staff were aware of any dietary restrictions involved in people’s care. People were supported to stay healthy and to obtain treatment if they needed it. Staff were observant of any changes in people’s healthcare needs and responded promptly if they became unwell. People who had ongoing conditions were supported to see specialist healthcare professionals regularly.

People received consistent care from regular staff who knew their needs well. Relatives told us their family members had positive relationships with the staff who supported them. Relatives said staff were kind and worked hard to provide the support their family members needed.

Staff treated people with respect and respected their privacy. Staff supported people in a way that Relatives told us staff encouraged their family members to perform tasks with support, which maximised their independence. People were supported to maintain relationships with their friends and families. Staff kept people’s relatives up to date with important events and informed them promptly about any concerns.

People received care that was tailored to their individual needs. Assessments had been carried out before people moved into the home to ensure staff could provide the care they needed. Staff consulted people’s relatives when planning people’s care and involved relevant professionals where necessary. People were supported to participate in activities they enjoyed and to pursue individual interests. People were involved in their local community and had opportunities to attend outings and holidays.

There were appropriate procedures for managing complaints. Relatives told us they had been able to raise concerns with the registered manager. They said the registered manager

The Bungalow is a purpose-built care home providing accommodation and personal care for five adults who have learning and physical disabilities.

The inspection took place on 25 June 2015 and was unannounced.

There was a registered manager was 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People’s medicines were administered and recorded accurately. Risks to people had been assessed and control measures had been put in place to mitigate against these risks. The service was clean and hygienic and staff understood how to prevent and control infection. There were plans in place to ensure that people’s care would not be interrupted in the event of an emergency.

People were kept safe by the provider’s recruitment procedures. Staff were aware of their responsibilities should they suspect abuse was taking place and knew how to report any concerns they had. The registered manager and staff understood their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which meant that people’s care was provided in the least restrictive way.

People were supported to stay healthy and to obtain treatment when they needed it. People’s nutritional needs were assessed and any dietary needs recorded in their care plans. People enjoyed the food provided by the service and were supported to eat a well-balanced diet.

The service provided accessible, safe accommodation. The premises were suitably designed for their purpose and adaptations and specialist equipment were in place where needed to meet people’s mobility needs.

People benefited from a stable staff team who had access to the training and support they needed to do their jobs. Staff were supported through supervision and appraisal and had opportunities for continuing professional development and to work towards vocational qualifications in care.

Staff were kind and caring and had a good awareness of people’s needs. People had good relationships with the staff that supported them. Staff treated them with respect and understood the importance of maintaining confidentiality, privacy and dignity.

People’s needs had been assessed before they moved into the service and kept under review, which meant that their care plans accurately reflected their needs and preferences about their care. Due to people’s complex needs, one-to-one staff support was available throughout the day. This meant that people’s needs were met promptly and that people were able to choose how they spent their time.

The service promoted people’s independence and supported people’s involvement in decisions that affected them. Staff had identified and worked with other people who could support the person in making decisions, such as family, friends, advocates and healthcare professionals. Relatives told us that they would feel comfortable making a complaint if they needed to and were confident that any concerns they raised would be dealt with appropriately.

The service actively sought people’s views about their care and support and responded to their feedback. Care plans were person-centred and reflected people’s individual needs, preferences and goals. They provided clear information for staff about how to provide care and support in the way the person preferred. The service had effective links with other health and social care agencies and worked in partnership with other professionals to ensure that people received the care they needed.

People had opportunities to go out regularly and to be involved in their local community. They had access to a wide range of activities and were supported to enjoy active social lives. People were supported to maintain relationships with their friends and families and to share in celebrations and events.

There was an open culture in which people, their relatives and staff were able to express their views and these were listened to. Staff told us that the registered manager was available and supportive and that they felt able to approach her for advice. Staff met regularly as a team to discuss any changes in people’s needs, which ensured that they provided care in a consistent way.

The registered manager had implemented effective systems of quality monitoring, which meant that key aspects of the service were checked and audited regularly. Records relating to people’s care and to the safety of the premises were accurate, up to date and stored appropriately.

During our visit we saw that people were being treated with dignity and respect and people's independence was encouraged. People were spoken to in a respectful way. We spoke with a family member and they felt that their relative was very well cared for and that they were involved in making decisions about their relative’s care and treatment.

During our visit we saw that the provider had produced a dignity board. The dignity board displayed statements from staff and people that use the service to show what dignity meant to them. The provider told us that this had been done with the involvement of people that used the service.

During our visit we were shown people’s bedrooms. The provider asked for people’s consent before showing us around. People’s bedrooms were personalised and met the individual needs of people using the service.

People chose how to occupy themselves in the service. We observed that people were spending time in the communal areas watching television and interacting with each other whilst listening to music. We observed staff spending the majority of their time with people who used the service.

We saw staff supporting people to make their own choices about what they had to eat and drink and what activities they took part in. Staff knew exactly how each person communicated which meant people's wishes were understood and respected.

Staff that we spoke to felt very valued and supported.