The service had a statement of purpose which had been reviewed regularly to capture the thoughts of the people using the service, the staff and set out the principles of how the service would operate to meet the needs of the people that used the service. The previous registered manager had used their considerable knowledge and experience to develop the policies and procedures and work with the senior staff to establish the organisation. This work had been carried on by the new manager. A member of told us, “I enjoy working here because everything is well organised and you are supported.” They further explained that as the service was well organised they could concentrate upon what they enjoyed doing which was supporting the people using the service.

People’s care plans and risk assessments were reviewed regularly and updated. The staff were aware of the contents of the care plans so that they understood the people’s needs and how to support them to meet their desired goal. One relative explained to us that they liked all the staff and considered the management must have put a lot of time and effort into finding the right caring people.

All of the staff told us that the manager and deputy were approachable and highly supportive, acting as a role model, whenever on duty in the way they approached and supported the people that used the service. Staff also liked the rota being compiled well in advance and the manager or care co-ordinator quickly and effectively dealing with staff requests, particularly annual leave. Staff told us that they were knowledgeable about the people using the service so that they could work with anyone as required. They usually worked with the same small group of people however and were able to discuss the support they provided in supervision with senior staff. A member of staff told us, “As the managers work alongside us sometimes, this makes supervision easier because they know the person and understand what we are doing.”

People who used the service, relatives and staff members had been asked for their opinions of the service and any improvements that they would like were considered and brought into effect as soon as possible. A relative of a person who used the service said, “The service is reliable and that is so important.”

There was an effective quality assurance system in place. Quality audits were completed by the senior staff on a monthly basis were reported to and reviewed by the managers of the service. This information was used to plan the future of the service. The manager explained to us that from their experience they wanted to keep medicines and care plan accuracy under close attention alongside supporting the staff through supervision and training. We saw that audits of these subjects plus supervision and training were in operation and further was planned for the future.

The director told us the aim of the service was to deliver high quality care. This required the care plans of the individuals using the service to be person-centred and for the staff to understand those principles. Staff training in person-centred care and care plan writing was provided at the staff induction and refresher training provided. All the people using the service had a care plan which was person-centred and reviewed each month. People using the service were invited to attend the review of their care as were their relatives. Changes in people's physical health were documented and how they were to be supported. This was important for the maintenance of people’s well-being. A relative informed us that they had the permission of their relative to attend the review with them and considered the reviews to be important for communication.

The service demonstrated a clear commitment to work in a joined up way with other organisations for the benefit of the people using the service. Time had been taken to ensure if ever people were admitted to hospital or had an appointment with a professional appropriate writte