The Minster specialises in providing care and support to adults who have a learning disability, autism and/or a physical disability. Most people had limited verbal communication. Accommodation is arranged over two levels with stairs providing access to the first floor. The home can accommodate up to 10 people and was full on the day of our inspection. All bedrooms are for single occupancy and the home is staffed 24 hours a day.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

Rating at this inspection

At this inspection we found the service remained Good. At this inspection the evidence continued to support the rating of Good. There was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

Why the service is rated good

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People received safe care because there were systems in place to protect people from abuse and harm. Staff undertook comprehensive risk assessments and developed plans designed to keep people safe with minimum restriction. Staff learnt from incidents and used this learning to improve the service.

The provider ensured there were enough staff to meet both the physical and social care needs of people. Staff underwent suitable recruitment checks and received a full induction and training to support them to carry out their role. Staff received regular supervision and performance was monitored.

The provider ensured checks were carried out to ensure the physical environment was safe and clean.

People were supported to be as independent as possible. Staff ensured people could access the community and also that they could try out new activities. The provider had reduced the amount of restrictive interventions in line with national guidance. This meant that the staff seldom used physical restraint to keep people safe.

People’s care was personalised to meet their individual needs. People had choices about food and drink and were supported to eat a healthy diet. Staff helped people to choose how they would like their rooms decorated. People were encouraged to try new things and to take positive risks.

The Minster had systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service. The service was well run and managed. Staff worked effectively as a team and felt valued and supported. Both staff and people living at the home gave positive feedback about the registered manager.

Further information is in the detailed findings below

This inspection took place on 16 November 2015 and was an unannounced inspection.

The Minster specialises in providing care and support to adults who have a learning disability, autism and/or a physical disability. Accommodation is arranged over two levels with stairs providing access to the first floor. The home can accommodate up to 10 people. All bedrooms are for single occupancy and the home is staffed 24 hours a day.

The people we met with had complex physical and learning disabilities and not all were able 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 and staff working at the home were committed to providing people with a fulfilling life despite of their disabilities. They spoke about the people they supported in a compassionate and caring manner. People were relaxed in the presence of the registered manager and staff team and there was lots of friendly banter.

The atmosphere in the home was relaxed and welcoming. People were busy coming and going and routines in the home were based around people’s needs and preferences. There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs and staff were available to respond to impromptu requests by people to go out.

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.

People were supported to be as independent as they could be with reduced risks to themselves or others. For example, people were supported to make hot drinks and help with food preparation and cooking.

Staff knew about the procedures to follow to minimise risks to people and to help keep them safe. Staff told us they would not hesitate in raising concerns and they felt confident allegations would be fully investigated and action would be taken to make sure people were safe.

The procedures for recruiting staff helped to minimise risks to the people who lived at the home. Checks were carried out on potential staff to make sure they were suitable to work with vulnerable adults. Staff did not commence employment until satisfactory checks had been received.

People were always asked for their consent before staff assisted them with any tasks and staff knew the procedures to follow to make sure people’s legal and human rights were protected.

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.