This inspection took place on 3 May and 8 May 2017 and was unannounced. The Manor is a residential care service that provides accommodation and personal support for up to 14 people with learning disabilities. At the time of our inspection there were 11 people using the service. At our last inspection in November 2014 the service was rated as good.

At this inspection we found the service continued to meet the regulations and fundamental standards and remained good.

The service had 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.

People told us they were happy living at The Manor and that they liked the staff. Staff knew how to protect people from the risk of harm and abuse. People’s individual risk was assessed both in the service and in the community and staff worked hard to minimise risk while still encouraging people’s independence.

There were enough qualified and skilled staff at the service. Staffing was managed flexibly to suit people's needs so that people received their care and support when they needed it. Staff had access to the information, support and training they needed to do their jobs well.

The registered manager and staff understood the relevant requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and how it applied to people in their care. People were involved in decisions about their care, were encouraged to make choices in their everyday life and supported to be as independent as they could be. Staff understood people’s individual needs and supported people with dignity and respect.

Care records focused on the person and were updated according to any changes in people’s health and wellbeing. People were supported to have their health needs met. We saw that people’s prescribed medicines were being stored securely and managed safely.

The provider had a number of audits and quality assurance systems to help them understand the quality of the care and support people received and look at ways to continually improve the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

Our inspection took place on 19 November 2014 and was unannounced.

Grovelands, which is commonly known as the Manor, is a residential care service that provides accommodation and personal support for up to 14 people with learning disabilities. At the time of our inspection there were 12 people using the service. We met with the newly appointed manager who had started their registration process with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to become a registered 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People felt safe living at Grovelands. Staff supported people to be as independent as they wanted to be and encouraged them to follow their own activities and interests. Staff helped make sure people were safe at the service and in the community by looking at the risks they may face and taking steps to reduce those risks. People received their prescribed medicine at the right time.

There were enough qualified and skilled staff at the service. Staffing was managed flexibly to suit people's needs so that people received their care and support when they needed it. Staff had access to the information, support and training they needed to do their jobs well.

During our inspection we saw that staff were caring and attentive to people. They showed people dignity and respect and had a good understanding of individual needs.

Care records contained information about the healthcare and support people needed and people had access to healthcare professionals when they needed them.

Staff said the manager was supportive and listened to them. People who used the service were comfortable talking with staff and the manager and we saw how people were reassured and supported when they were upset or unhappy.

The provider had a number of audits and quality assurance systems to help them understand the quality of the care and support people received. Accidents and incidents were reported and examined. The manager and staff used information about quality of the service and incidents to improve the service.

During our inspection we met seven out of the twelve people who currently lived at the Manor and spoke at length with three of them. People told us they were happy living at the Manor and staff who worked there treated them well. One person said “I have lived here a long time. I like it here. This is my home”. Another person told us “I am happy here. We get on with each other and the staff are nice”.

We found evidence that showed us staff were suitably trained to support the people who used the service and that they treated everyone who lived at the Manor with the utmost respect and compassion. We saw people were supported by staff to be as independent as they could and encouraged to make informed choices about care and support they received.

We found the provider had appropriate arrangements in place to manage medicines and routinely assess and monitor the quality of the care and support people who lived at the Manor received.

During our inspection we spoke to four people who lived at the Manor and one of their relatives. People told us they were happy with the quality of the care they received at the home and that staff were kind and caring. A visiting relative said “I cannot fault the staff. They are all very good”. During our inspection we saw staff treated people who lived at the Manor with respect and dignity, as well as put people at the centre of their care and support by enabling them to make informed choices. One person who uses the service told us “I can choose what I eat for my lunch and what activities i do”. We also saw staff supported people to do as much for themselves as they could and to learn new skills.

However, although people who use the service and relatives said they were happy with the overall standard of care provided at the Manor; a visiting relative and most staff also told us they felt vulnerable people were at risk of being harmed because of one persons behaviour, which continued to challenge the service and staff. A relative who had participated in a recent satisfaction survey conducted by the provider wrote “before the disruptive resident arrived I was very satisfied with the home”.

In this report the name of a registered manager appears who was not in post and not managing the regulatory activities at this location at the time of the inspection. Their name appears because they were still a Registered Manager on our register at the time.