This inspection was unannounced and took place on the 4 May 2017. The Corner House is a house for up to three people with a learning disability situated in Whitwell. At the time of our inspection there were three people living at the service.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our 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.

Staff were aware of the need to keep people safe and to protect them from the risk of avoidable harm. Staff were aware of safeguarding procedures to ensure that any allegation of abuse was recorded and reported to the appropriate authority.

People were cared for and supported by staff who had demonstrated their suitability for their respective role. Recruitment procedures were safe and included Disclosure and Barring service (DBS) checks. Enough staff were available to meet people’s needs.

People’s medicines were managed safely and in accordance with current regulations and guidance. There were systems in place to ensure medicines were safely stored, administered and disposed of.

The requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards had been met. Capacity assessments and best interest decisions were included in people’s care plans.

The provider arranged for staff training to ensure they provided appropriate and effective care and support for people. The service was maintained and decorated in a manner that reflected the needs and personalities of each person.

People were supported to have sufficient to eat and drink; meals and menus were prepared by people and staff together. People were supported to maintain good health and had access to appropriate healthcare professionals.

The service was person centred and accounted for personal likes, dislikes, needs and preferences. Staff encouraged people to make their own day to day decisions and staff respected those decisions whilst ensuring and being aware of people’s safety.

The staff supported each person in a professional manner whilst being aware of promoting their independence. People were encouraged to fulfil and meet their aspirations and take part in activities of their choice. People’s right to privacy and dignity was promoted and respected by staff.

Staff felt they were supported by the management team and there was good team work being carried out. Meetings took place with the people living at the service to collect their opinions and views. Effective auditing systems were in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service. There were systems in place to identify, minimise and manage risks to people’s safety and welfare in the environment.