The inspection was carried out on 30 June 2016. Our inspection was announced.

The Kent Autistic Trust - 14 High Street is a supported living scheme for adults with an autistic spectrum condition. The service provides personal care and support for people living in self-contained flats in Chatham and Strood. The Kent Autistic Trust - 14 High Street provides personal care and for four people who are living in the community. Staff provided assistance to people such as washing and dressing, preparing food and drinks, administering medicines and helping people maintain their health and wellbeing.

Management of the service was overseen by a board of trustees for The Kent Autistic Trust. Trustees and the chief executive officer for the trust visited the supported living schemes regularly.

The service had a registered manager and a manager. 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. The manager was in the process of applying to become a registered manager so that each of the support living schemes would have a registered manager.

People were unable to verbally tell us about their experiences. People were relaxed around the staff and in their own home. We received positive feedback from relatives about all aspects of the service.

Staff knew and understood how to safeguard people from abuse, they had attended training, and there were effective procedures in place to keep people safe from abuse and mistreatment.

Risks to people had been identified. Systems had been put in place to enable people to carry out activities safely with support.

Medicines were appropriately managed to ensure that people received their medicines as prescribed. Records were clear and the administration and management of medicines was properly documented.

Staff and people received additional support and guidance from the behaviour support manager when there had been incidents of heightened anxiety. Staff received regular support and supervision from the management team.

There were suitable numbers of staff on shift to meet people’s needs. The provider followed safe recruitment procedures to ensure that staff working with people were suitable for their roles. Robust recruitment procedures were followed to make sure that only suitable staff were employed.

Procedures and guidance in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) was in place which included steps that staff should take to comply with legal requirements. Staff had supported people to understand decisions that needed to be made with regard to their health, which had enabled them to make an informed decision about treatment.

People were supported to prepare and cook food that met their needs and records evidenced that people made choices in relation to their food and drinks.

People received medical assistance from healthcare professionals when they needed it. Staff knew people well and recognised when people were not acting in their usual manner and took appropriate action.

Relatives told us that staff were kind, caring and communicated well with them. Interactions between people and staff were positive and caring.

People and their relatives had been involved with planning their own care. Staff treated people with dignity and respect. People’s information was treated confidentially and personal records were stored securely.

People’s views and experiences were sought during meetings and by completing questionnaires.

People were encouraged to take part in activities that they enjoyed, this included activities in their homes and in the local community. People were supported to be as independent as possible.

The complaints procedure was on display within the foyer of the supported living scheme and thi

Our aim is to speak with a representative proportion of people who used the service or their representatives. We spoke with two relatives who both told us that they would recommend the service to other people. One person told us, “The service is wonderful and brilliant. S/he has the best care and is very happy. S/he would let me know if s/he was not happy”.

Relatives said that staff respected people’s privacy and dignity, involved them in people’s care and treatment plans and helped them to maintain their independence. One person told us, “Staff are natural with her/him and genuinely love him/her”; another person told us, “Staff are helpful and always there for him/her”.

The service was person centred, as it was developed around the individual needs of the person who used the service. For example, one person, with no verbal communication, used a supermarket application on their IPad to express their preferences about what they would like to eat.

Staff understood the principles of infection control and how to put them into practice which ensured that people’s homes were clean.

People’s needs had been assessed to ensure that there were enough staff on duty at all times.

There were effective systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and to gain and act on the views of people who used the service. People’s views were listened to and acted upon. For example, one person asked for a male member of staff and they were provided with one.

We found that care staff supported people to meet their individual needs in a way that respected people's privacy and dignity and encouraged their independence.

Clear guidance was in place for staff to follow to meet people’s individual needs. People told us that staff had the right skills and experience to support the people in their care. One person told us, “They do a fantastic job. I could not fault them”.

The service asked the views of people who use the service on a regular basis. The results of the survey in 2012 were that everyone was satisfied with the level of care that they received. Comments included, “I want to stay here, I have nice and a nice flat”; and “I think that KAT Trust do a wonderful job and she has never been so happy and well kept.