The Bungalow provides accommodation with personal care for up to seven people. The home provides a service to adults who have a learning disability, autism and/or a physical disability. Accommodation is arranged at ground floor level. All bedrooms are for single occupancy and the home is staffed 24 hours a day.

At the time of the inspection there were seven people living at the home.

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 adequate numbers of staff who had the skills and knowledge to meet their needs. Staff knew how to protect people from the risk of harm and abuse. There were systems in place to identify and manage risks and to protect people from harm or abuse. People received their medicines when they needed them and medicines were stored and managed in a safe way.

People continued to receive effective care. People were supported by staff who were well trained and competent in their roles. People’s health care needs were monitored and met. People were 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.

The home continued to provide a caring service to people. Staff were kind, considerate and patient when they supported people and people responded positively when staff interacted with them. The service had received numerous compliments. One relative had said “You have all been wonderful and have gone way over the call of duty to care for [name of person]. The Bungalow is a lovely place for [name of person] to live and I count myself truly fortunate to have found it. It is a rare commodity. So many thanks for your wisdom and compassion”

People received care which was responsive to their needs and preferences. Staff were skilled in recognising what a person wanted or was feeling even though people were unable to communicate their needs. People were supported to maintain contact with their family and friends and to take part in their preferred activities and social events.

The service continued to be well led. The registered manager was very visible in the home and knew people very well. Staff told us the management within the home were open and approachable. The registered manager and provider continually monitored the quality of the service and made improvements where needed.

Further information is in the detailed findings below

This inspection took place on 15 October 2015 and was an unannounced inspection.

The Bungalow specialises in providing care and support to adults who have a learning disability, autism and/or a physical disability. Accommodation is arranged at ground floor level and the home can accommodate up to seven people. All bedrooms are for single occupancy and the home is staffed 24 hours a day.

The people we met with had very complex physical and learning disabilities and were unable to tell us about their experiences of life at the home. We therefore used our observations of care and our discussions with staff to help form our judgements.

There was a registered manager 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The registered manager was committed to enabling people to live a fulfilling and happy life despite of their disability. They told us “I want people to have access to an exciting and happy life whatever their disability.” They said “I feel proud of the service we provide and of our staff team but will always look at ways to make life even better for people.”

Staff morale was good and people were comfortable with the staff who supported them. The atmosphere in the home was very relaxed with lots of laughter and friendly banter. It was evident that staff knew people very well and were committed to ensuring people received the care and support they needed as well as a fulfilling life.

Staffing levels were good and people also received good support from health and social care professionals. Staff were confident and competent when assisting and interacting with people.

There were effective policies and procedures in place to reduce the risk of harm or abuse to the people who lived at the home and these were understood and followed by staff.

People were unable to look after their own medicines. Staff made sure medicines were stored securely and there were sufficient supplies of medicines. People received their medicines when they needed them.

Routines in the home were flexible and were based around the needs and preferences of the people who lived there. People were able to plan their day with staff and they were supported to access a range of social and leisure activities in the home and local community.

The service made sure staff completed appropriate training so they could meet the needs of the people they supported. The knowledge, skills and competency of staff were regularly monitored through supervisions and observation of their practice. Staff told us they felt well supported and received the training they needed.

There were systems in place to monitor health and safety and the quality of the service provided to people. Results of a recent satisfaction survey had been very positive. A health care professional had described the service as “A very friendly and well managed home.” Another commented “Very person centred and staff are very knowledgeable about the people they support.” A relative had commented “In the field of care it would be hard to find better.”