This inspection took place on 12 September 2017 and was announced.

Waystaff Way provides care and accommodation for up to four people with a diagnosis of a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder. At the time of our inspection visit three people were living at home.

At the last inspection on 17 June 2015 the service was rated overall as Good with the key question ‘effective’ being rated as Requires Improvement. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and all areas were rated ‘Good’.

There was a registered manager at the home who had been in post since August 2017. 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.

At our previous inspection we found the form used to assess people’s capacity to make decisions was not fit for purpose because it did not reflect current legislation. During this inspection we found the form had been updated.

People made day to day decisions about their care which staff respected. People enjoyed their meals and liked the food choices available to them. People were supported to have choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the home supported this practice.

Previously we found staff had not completed all of the training the provider considered essential. At this inspection we saw staff training was up to date. This meant staff had the skills they needed to meet the needs of people who lived at the home.

People told us they felt safe living at Wagstaff Way and relatives agreed with them. Staff understood risks related to people’s care and support and their responsibilities to protect people from the risk of abuse. People’s medicines were managed and administered safely by trained staff. People were supported to access health care services when needed.

The provider checked staff’s suitability for their role before they started working at the home. There were enough staff to support people to meet their needs, in the ways they preferred. People’s care and support was provided by a consistent staff team who knew people well. Relatives thought staff were dedicated, caring, knowledgeable and kind.

People and their relatives were involved in planning and reviewing their care. Information in care records ensured staff had the detail needed to ensure all care and support provided was based on the individual needs and preferences of each person.

People were supported to maintain relationships with people who were important to them and were encouraged to follow their interests and take part in activities which they enjoyed. People enjoyed spending time with the staff who cared for them. Staff respected people’s privacy and promoted their dignity by supporting people to be independent.

Relatives knew how to make a complaint and told us they would feel comfortable doing so. No complaints had been made since our previous inspection.

Relatives were very complimentary about the quality of care provided and the way the home was managed. Staff enjoyed working at the home and felt supported by the management team. The management team completed regular checks to monitor the quality and safety of service provided, and encouraged people and relatives to share their views about the service to drive forward improvements.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

This inspection took place on the 17 June 2015 and was unannounced.

Wagstaff Way provides care and accommodation for up to four people with a diagnosis of an autistic spectrum disorder. At the time of our visit there were four ladies living in the home.

Every service is required to have a registered manager. 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. A manager had been appointed and was in the process of submitting their application to us for registration.

There was a homely atmosphere and people had formed friendships with each other. They enjoyed living together as a family group and staff supported them to communicate with each other. People were encouraged to make their own decisions and staff supported people to develop their living skills so they could lead more independent lives.

Staffing numbers were based on the needs of the people who lived in the home and there were enough staff to keep people safe at home and in the community. Staff understood their responsibility to be observant for signs that could indicate a person was worried or upset.

There was a positive approach to risk management which supported people, as far as possible, to live their lives as they chose. Risk assessments were about enabling people to do things rather than restricting them. Staff knew how to maintain a balance between encouraging people’s independence and keeping them safe.

There was an effective system to ensure people received the medicines they needed safely.

Staff received a detailed induction to the service which included all the training considered essential to meet the needs of the people who lived in the home. However, training updates had not always been completed in the required timescales to ensure staff skills were maintained. The new manager had introduced more regular supervisions and staff told us they valued the opportunity to talk about their practice.

The manager understood their responsibility to comply with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). No one was under a DoLS at the time of our inspection.

People’s physical and mental health was reviewed regularly and they were supported to attend visits with other healthcare professionals.

Care was planned to meet people’s individual needs, abilities and preferences and to encourage their independence. People and their relatives were involved in regular reviews to ensure the care and support they received continued to meet their needs. People knew their complaints would be listened to and action taken to resolve any issues.

There had been significant managerial changes at provider and service level. Staff we spoke with were positive about these changes and the improvement in the support they received. Staff had opportunities to share information and raise any issues or concerns.

There was a system of quality assurance checks to ensure people received a high standard of care. Relatives were happy with the care their family members received and confident in the staff who provided that care.

When we visited Wagstaff Way there were four people living in the home. We spoke with three of the people living there and observed the care being provided. We also spoke with three members of staff and the manager of the service.

We saw that people were supported to maintain their independent living skills. We saw there was a great emphasis within the home on people working towards as much independence as possible with the guidance and encouragement of staff.

Support plans were person centred and reflected people's individual needs. Staff had a clear understanding of how people wanted to be supported, as detailed in their plans. People responded positively when new staff came on duty. There was a friendly, calm and relaxed atmosphere in the home during our visit.

People received their medicines when they needed them and in a safe way. There were processes in place to check medicines were being administered correctly and recording was accurate.

The home had a complaints policy which was in an easy read format making it accessible to the people who lived there. The home had not received any complaints in 2013.

We visited the home on 11 February 2013. During our visit, we spoke with two support workers. We observed interactions and spoke with one person who lived at the home. We also spoke by phone with the registered manager and two relatives of people who lived at the home. At the time of our visit four people lived at the home.

People told us, “The home is excellent” and “They provide very good care and activities.” Staff said, “There’s a great family atmosphere here.”

Staff told us that staff cover was good and they plan a wide range of activities for people. We saw that these had recently included zumba, horse riding, a range of arts and crafts and a canal barge trip.

People who lived at the home interacted positively with staff and appeared very comfortable and relaxed. They were encouraged to make their own choices and decisions. The home was clean, tidy and well maintained.

People told us that staff were pleasant and helpful.

People living in Wagstaff Way could not answer detailed questions about their care due to their autistic spectrum conditions and their learning disabilities. We looked at records, saw how people were supported and spoke to two relatives and two care workers about their care.

People appeared happy on the day of our visit. They had their personal hygiene needs met. They were wearing clothes of differing styles. A person living at Wagstaff Way showed us around parts of the home. People were living in an environment that was decorated and furnished to a high standard.

Relatives told us that they had good communication from the care workers at Wagstaff Way. They told us they received information about their relative's health, activities and well being. They said the care was: "Excellent." and: "We are very pleased with the home." "Care workers try to give people choices in how people spend their time."

One relative told us of the special arrangements that had been made to ensure that their visits worked well. People living in the home were supported to maintain relationships.