This inspection took place on 10 April 2018 and was unannounced. This meant the staff and provider did not know we would be visiting.

Unity House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Unity House accommodates up to 21 people with a learning disability who require personal care. The service had 15 residential beds and six individual flats. At the time of our inspection, there were 15 people using the service, 11 people in residential beds and four people living in the flats.

The service had a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC to manage the service. Like 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.

This was the services first rated inspection under the new provider.

Accidents and incidents were appropriately recorded and investigated. Risk assessments were in place for people who used the service and described potential risks and the safeguards in place to mitigate these risks.

The registered manager understood their responsibilities with regard to safeguarding and staff had been trained in safeguarding vulnerable adults.

Medicines were stored safely and securely, and procedures were in place to ensure people received medicines as prescribed. Improvements with the counts of medicines were put in place on the day of inspection.

The home was clean and suitable for the people who used the service and appropriate health and safety checks had been carried out. At the time of the inspection fire drills were not taking place for all staff. The registered manager rectified this immediately and arranged two fire drills the day after the inspection. We have made a recommendation about fire drills.

There were enough staff available to provide individual care and support to each person. Staff upheld people's human rights and treated everyone with great respect and dignity. Robust recruitment and selection procedures were in place and appropriate checks had been undertaken before staff began work.

Staff were suitably trained and received supervision and a yearly appraisal.

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

People were protected from the risk of poor nutrition and staff were aware of people’s nutritional needs. Care records contained evidence of people being supported during visits to and from external health care specialists.

The interactions between people and staff showed that staff knew the people really well. Staff spoken with had a good knowledge of people's needs and spoke with genuine affection about the people they supported.

People who used the service and family members were complimentary about the standard of care at Unity House. Staff helped to maintain people’s independence by encouraging them to care for themselves where possible.

Care records showed that people’s needs were assessed before they started using the service and support plans were written in a person-centred way. Person-centred is about ensuring the person is at the centre of any care or support plans and their individual wishes, needs and choices are taken into account.

Activities were arranged for people who used the service based on their likes and interests, and to help meet their social needs.

People who used the service and family members were aware of how to make a complaint; the service had received three complaints in the last year, which were fully investigated and acted upon.

The management team were approachabl