The Old Dairy is a care home which provides accommodation and personal care for up to four people with learning disabilities. At the time of our inspection four people were living at the home.

This inspection took place on 4 May 2016 and was unannounced.

At the last inspection in March 2016, we identified that improvements were required in relation to recording of how risks were managed and to ensure the provider was operating within the conditions of their registration. At this inspection we found the provider had taken action to address these issues.

There was a registered manager in post at the service. 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.

Plans to manage risks people faced contained up to date information and provided clear guidance to staff on the support people needed. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of people’s needs and how to safely manage the risks they faced.

The registered manager was no longer providing support to a person who lived in separate accommodation nearby. The provider had amended their registration and support for this person was being managed from a different service operated by the provider.

People who use the service were positive about the care they received and praised the quality of the staff and management. Comments from people included, “I like the staff, they are the best thing about living here” and “I am very happy living here. I like the staff, they are kind to me”.

People told us they felt safe when receiving care and were involved in developing and reviewing their support plans. Systems were in place to protect people from abuse and harm and staff knew how to use them. People were confident that any concerns they raised would be taken seriously and investigated.

Staff understood the needs of the people they were supporting. People told us staff provided support with kindness and compassion.

Staff received training suitable to their role and an induction when they started working for the service. They demonstrated a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities, as well as the values and philosophy of the service.

There was a strong management team in the service and the registered manager was clear how they expected staff to support people. The provider assessed and monitored the quality of care and took action to address shortfalls that were identified.

The Old Dairy is a care home which provides accommodation and personal care for up to five people with learning disabilities. At the time of our inspection four people were living at the home.

This inspection took place on 11 March 2016 and was announced. We told the provider two days before we visited because the location is a small service for people who are active in their local community. We wanted to make sure people would be at home during our visit and staff would be available to support the inspection.

There was a registered manager in post at the service. 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.

Plans to manage risks people faced had not always been reviewed to ensure they provided up to date information and guidance to staff on the support people needed to stay safe. Despite this lack of review of the assessments, staff demonstrated a good understanding of people’s needs and how to manage the risks they faced.

The staff team was supporting one person who had moved out of the service to their own home. This service had been set up to ensure the person received a consistent service from staff who knew them well. However, the provider was not registered to provide this type of service from The Old Dairy.

People who use the service were positive about the care they received and praised the quality of the staff and management. Comments from people included, “I like living here. Staff have helped me settle in and have treated me very well” and “I like the staff and get on well with them”.

People told us they felt safe when receiving care and were involved in developing and reviewing their support plans. Systems were in place to protect people from abuse and harm and staff knew how to use them.

Staff understood the needs of the people they were supporting. People told us staff provided support with kindness and compassion.

Staff received training suitable to their role and an induction when they started working for the service. They demonstrated a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities, as well as the values and philosophy of the service.

There was a strong management team in the service and the registered manager was clear how they expected staff to support people. The provider assessed and monitored the quality of care and took action to address shortfalls that were identified.

We met with two people using the service during our visit. One person was on holiday and another person was at day services so we were unable to meet with them. We gathered evidence of people’s experience of the service by reviewing the comments book, observing care practices and talking with staff and relatives. We spent time talking to a senior manager from the provider during our visit.

We spoke with two relatives about the service provided to their family member. One person commented “I honestly feel it is a brilliant home”. Another relative told us “the service is faultless”.

The two people we spoke with told us they were happy living at the home. They said they had everything they needed.

We observed staff treating people with kindness and patience. A relative said “I feel that my family member is safe there”. Another relative described how their family member was always keen to return to The Old Dairy after a visit home

People were supported to be independent and make choices in their day to day lives. People told us about the things they liked to do each day. People told us about their interests and how they were involved in household tasks such as preparing meals and keeping their rooms tidy.

When we inspected there were four people living in the home. We spoke with three people who used the service, two visitors and four staff. We also made our own observations during the visit.

People who used the service told us they were satisfied with the service they received. Staff supported people and met their needs. One person who used the service said "I like it here" and a visitor told us “they are good staff.”

People told us that staff treated them with dignity and respect. One person said “this is my bedroom, I like it like this.” We saw staff speaking and responding to people in a kind and respectful manner. One visitor told us “it has a nice atmosphere, it feels homely.”

The care records showed us that people's health needs had been assessed before they came to live in the home. These records included information from health and social care professionals which helped ensure people got the care and treatment they needed.

The home provided nutritional meals and the menu included meals selected by people who lived in the home. The service and the building were monitored and risk assessed to ensure they were suitable for the people who used them.

The evidence we collected showed us the service kept people safe and met their care needs.