At the last inspection in August 2015, the home was rated 'Good'. At this inspection, the home continued to be good.

The Pines provides care and accommodation for up to six people with a diagnosis of a learning disability, autistic spectrum disorder or mental health. There were six people living at the home at the time of our 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The atmosphere at The Pines was relaxed. We observed positive interactions between people and the staff throughout our visit. Relatives confirmed their family members were well looked after and safe in the home.

Procedures were in place to protect people from harm. Staff had received the training they needed to be effective in their roles and knew how to safeguard people from abuse. There were enough staff on duty to support people safely. The provider's recruitment procedures minimised, as far as possible, the risks to people safety.

Staff were knowledgeable about the risks associated with people's care. Detailed risk assessments and management plans were in place for staff to follow to keep people safe.

People's medicines were stored and managed safely. Regular checks of equipment took place to make sure it was safe to use. There were processes to keep people safe in the event of an emergency such as a fire.

Accident and incident records were completed and a system was in place to analyse the records to reduce further incidents occurring.

The provider was working within the principles of the MCA. Staff had a good understanding of the principles of the MCA. The registered manager had correctly followed the process and authorisations to deprive some people of their liberty had been approved in line with legislation.

We observed staff were responsive to people's needs and had good knowledge of how they preferred their support to be provided. Staff told us about people's likes and how they tailored their care to meet their needs.

Staff behaviours and attitude to their work, showed they knew people they cared for well. People's right to privacy was respected and people were treated in a dignified way.

Care and support had been planned in partnership with people and their families and in a way that met their personal goals and care needs. Care plans were person centred and contained detailed information about people's preferences and daily routines.

People were supported to follow their personal hobbies and interests and were encouraged to join in with social activities.

There was a clear management structure in place to support people and staff at the home. Staff spoke positively about their managers and told us they enjoyed working at the home.

People and their relative’s service had opportunities to put forward their ideas and suggestions to drive forward improvements. The management team were responsive to the feedback provided. People and their relatives knew how to make a complaint and told us they comfortable doing so.

The management team completed regular checks of different aspects of the home. This was to highlight any issues in the quality of the care provided, and to drive forward improvements.

This inspection took place on the 11 August 2015 and was unannounced.

The Pines provides care and accommodation for up to six people with a diagnosis of a learning disability, autistic spectrum disorder or mental health disabilities. At the time of our visit there were five people living in the home.

There was a registered manager 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.

The home had a cheerful atmosphere and staff spoke of how much they enjoyed working there. People were treated with kindness and compassion and there was a lot of positive interaction and laughter. Staff constantly checked to see if people needed anything and there was clear evidence of caring relationships between staff and the people they supported.

There were enough staff on duty to meet people’s needs both inside the home and outside in the community. Staff had a good and in-depth understanding of people’s needs and the level of support they required to keep them safe. Staff understood their responsibility to report any concerns they had about people’s wellbeing and were watchful for non-verbal signs that a person was unhappy.

People received their medication as prescribed and medicines were stored safely and securely.

Staff received training and support to ensure they could safely and effectively meet the individual needs of the people living in the home. Staff told us the training they received gave them the skills to support people who could sometimes display behaviours that could cause concern to others.

The provider and registered manager understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) to ensure people were looked after in a way that did not inappropriately restrict their freedom. The provider had made applications to the local authority in accordance with the DoLS.

Staff understood people’s communication needs and gave visual prompts so people could make their own choices about their everyday activities. People were given opportunities to engage in activities that interested them inside and outside the home.

People were involved in planning their care and support needs. People and their relatives were involved in regular reviews to ensure any changes in the support they required were identified.

The provider encouraged staff to undertake further qualifications to support their own personal development and progress their careers. Staff told us they felt confident to approach the registered manager if they had concerns about anything. The provider had systems to monitor the quality of service provision and identify where improvements were required.

At the time of our visit there were five people living at The Pines. Another person was due to move in and was spending the day at the home to ensure it met their needs. We spoke with four of the people living there and the person visiting. We also spoke with two staff members and the manager.

Support plans provided staff with information about people's mental health needs as well as their physical care needs. They informed staff how they were to assist people in areas where a need for support had been identified.

People were encouraged to be as independent as possible both inside and outside the home. Risk assessments balanced management and safety with the right of people to take informed risks.

We looked at how the service managed medication. We were satisfied medication management was sufficiently robust to ensure medicines were always administered safely to people.

Records demonstrated that new staff completed an induction that was based on recognised standards within the care sector known as ‘Skills for Care’. Staff received regular and specialist training to meet the needs of the people living in the home. Staff told us they received regular supervision. One member of staff told us, "You get to put your input in and it is listened to."

Records were kept securely, were well organised and information was easy to find.

We spoke with the manager and two support workers.

Staff told us that staff turnover was low and staff were happy working at the home. They said they were well supported by management. Staff and relatives told us the staff levels were very good and they were able to do everything they needed to do. We saw that when people who lived in the home needed staff, there was always someone immediately available to assist.

We saw that staff had regular supervision where they could discuss any concerns and training needs. We saw details of training schedules that demonstrated staff received regular and relevant training in required areas. There were regular staff meetings.

We looked at the training certificates in two staff files and found that staff had completed the training required to work with people in a safe way. Staff had also received specialist training such as understanding autism, managing challenging behaviour, epilepsy care and physical intervention to help them meet the specific needs of the people living in the home.

Staff benefited from working for a company that had its own dedicated training department. The manager worked closely with the trainers to ensure that all staff were up to date with their knowledge.

One relative told us that staff were knowledgeable and knew what they were doing.

Staff said that the manager was available and supportive if there were any problems.

People living at the Pines were happy there. They were well cared for by a competent skilled and friendly staff team. They participated in numerous activities and were encouraged to make their own choices and decisions.