VP Community Care provides personal care and support for ten people living in ‘supported living’ settings, to help them live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and related support. The provider specialises in creating bespoke care packages for people living with conditions such as autism or acquired brain injury. VP Community Care provides this service to adults living in England.

The provider, who is registered with us as an individual, manages the service, so is not required to have a registered manager. 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 care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

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

People were supported with their care in ways which kept them safe. Risks associated with people’s health conditions were assessed, and care plans were developed with them, to manage any related risks identified to their safety whist promoting independence. Staff knew how to identify if people were at risk of abuse and were confident to report concerns. People had enough staff to support them at the times they needed. People's medicines were managed safely and in accordance with relevant professional guidance. The provider had an open culture where accidents and incidents were reviewed and improvements made when things went wrong.

People's health, nutritional, and social needs were assessed and provided in line with current legislation and nationally recognised guidelines. Staff had the skills, experience and knowledge to meet people’s individual needs. The provider supported staff to work alongside health and social care professionals, to ensure people’s needs were assessed and met effectively. 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 supported by staff who were caring and responded quickly to their needs. Staff were matched with people based not only on their skills, but also on personality and people’s preferences for staff. People and relatives were involved in planning and reviewing care, and people were supported to express their views about care. People were supported in ways which promoted respect, their dignity, and independence.

People received individualised care that was responsive to their needs. Relatives were positive about being involved in planning and reviewing people’s care, and felt they were listened to when they shared their knowledge. The provider had processes in place to listen to any concerns raised and took action when needed, to improve the quality of care.

The service was well-led. People were happy with the support they received, and relatives and health and social care professionals were positive about the way the service was managed. The provider promoted an open and inclusive culture within the service, and staff had clear guidance on the standards of care expected of them. The provider had systems to monitor and review all aspects of the service.

This inspection took place on 23 December 2015. VP Community Care is a domiciliary care service which provides personal care and support to people in their own home across the UK.

The provider, who is registered with us as an individual, manages the service so is not required to have a registered manager. 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.

Staff knew how to keep people safe and understood their responsibilities to protect people from the risk of abuse. Risks to people’s health and safety were managed and plans were in place to enable staff to support people safely. There were sufficient numbers of staff to meet people’s care needs and staff were recruited safely. People received the level of support they required to safely manage their medicines.

Staff received appropriate induction, training, supervision and appraisal. People’s rights were protected under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People received the assistance they required to have enough to eat and drink. External professionals were involved in people’s care as appropriate.

Positive and caring relationships had been developed between staff and people who used the service. People were involved in the planning and reviewing of their care and making decisions about what care they wanted. People were treated with dignity and respect by staff who understood the importance of this.

People received the care they needed and staff were aware of the different support each person needed. Care records provided sufficient information for staff to provide personalised care. People felt able to make a complaint and knew how to do so.

People and their relatives were involved in the development of the service. Staff told us they would be confident raising any concerns with the management and the registered provider was meeting their regulatory responsibilities. There were systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided.

All three case managers described the complex needs of the people they represented and how those needs were met by VP Community Care. One case manager said “My client has very specific complex needs, the support worker is excellent and has a very good understanding of how to support my client.” Another case manager said that VP Community Care, “Consistently provided good quality staff.”

We found evidence that one person using the service had been identified as being at risk from financial abuse. The care plan recorded how to safeguard this person against this risk including when and in what ways this person was vulnerable and what steps staff should take to report any concern they may have.

One member of staff told us that if they needed support they got it within minutes and that they felt more than supported by the managers at the service.

Staff working directly with people using the service told us that their managers had visited them to observe their work directly. One member of staff told us that managers call into the house to check how things are going and the staff member found this supportive.

We found evidence of detailed care plans and risk assessments relevant to each person’s care needs. We read where people’s needs had been regularly reviewed and had included contributions from other health professionals. We found evidence that reviews identified people’s changing needs and that new care plans had been introduced as a result.