Westbury Drive - Macclesfield is part of the David Lewis organisation and is registered to provide accommodation for four people who require support and care with their daily lives. The two-storey domestic type property is close to shops, public transport and other local amenities.

The home is a detached house in the area of Macclesfield, Cheshire. At the time of our inspection there were three people living there.

At the last inspection the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

The service had 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.

The care service had 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. We saw that people with learning disabilities and autism who used the service were able to live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

We spoke with two of the three people who lived in the home and two relatives who all gave positive feedback about the home and the staff who worked in it. We saw that people were living busy, independent lives, supported by a willing staff team who were encouraging, supportive and respectful.

People were leading busy lives with work placements, college courses and various daily activities of their choice. Care plans were person centred and driven by the people who lived who lived in the home. They detailed how people wished and needed to be cared for. They were regularly reviewed and updated as required.

Staff spoken with and records seen confirmed training had been provided to enable them to support the people with their specific needs. We found staff were knowledgeable about the support needs of people in their care. We observed staff providing support to people throughout our inspection visit. We saw they had positive relationships with the people in their care. There was a happy, warm atmosphere in the home. We saw that people communicated in specific ways and the staff were confident and competent at successfully communicating in the person’s preferred method of communication.

The residential manager understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). This meant they were working within the law to support people who may lack capacity to make their own decisions. We saw that people were supported to make their own decisions and their choices were respected and at all times the least restrictive option was taken. Assistive technology was in place to maximise people’s independence and ensure that their privacy and dignity was respected.

The residential manager used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of the service. These included regular audits of the service and staff meetings to seek the views of staff about the service. The residential manager worked closely with the other two residential managers to support all of the community houses and provide quality support to staff to enable them to provide proactive, individualised care to the people living in the homes.

The inspection was unannounced and took place on the 20 January 2016. Following this an announced visit to the head office of the David Lewis Centre to look at recruitment and training records and phone calls to the family members of the people living in the home took place on the 22 and 26 January respectively.

Westbury Drive is part of the David Lewis Centre’s ‘Community Programme’ and is registered to provide accommodation for four people who require support and care with their daily living. The home is located in a residential area in Macclesfield. The two storey domestic property is close to local amenities. Staff members are available twenty four hours a day. At the time of our visit there were two people living in the house.

Westbury Drive had 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.

The registered manager, (their job title within the organisation was service manager), did not work in the home on a daily basis. Day to day management was provided by a residential manager who had responsibility for a total of four services operated by David Lewis and the team leaders who managed each shift.

Because of their communication needs we were unable to fully confirm from the people living at Westbury Drive what they thought about the home and the staff members supporting them. To help with this process we were able to speak to a family member on the telephone.

The service had a range of policies and procedures which helped staff refer to good practice and included guidance on the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. This meant that the staff members were aware of people's rights to make their own decisions. They were also aware of the need to protect people's rights if they had difficulty in making decisions for themselves.

We asked staff members about training and they confirmed that they received regular training throughout the year, they described this as their mandatory training and that it was up to date.

The care plans, which within the David Lewis Centre were called common care files were reviewed regularly so staff knew what changes, if any, had been made. The files each had a ‘one page profile’ which explained what was important to the individual and how best to support them. This helped to ensure that people’s needs continued to be met.

Staff members we spoke with were positive about how the home was being managed. Throughout the inspection we observed them interacting with each other in a professional manner. The staff members we spoke with were positive about the service and the quality of the support being provided.

The relationships we saw were warm, respectful, dignified and with plenty of smiles. Everyone in the service looked relaxed and comfortable with the staff.

We found that the provider and the home used a variety of methods in order to assess the quality of the service they were providing to people. These included regular audits on areas such as the care files, including risk assessments, medication, individual finances and staff training. The records were being maintained properly.

During our unannounced inspection on 29 January 2014 we spoke to the registered manager, the residential manager, a team leader, one member of staff, two of the four people who lived at the house and two of their relatives.

People we spoke to told us that they were happy with the care they received and could make their own decisions about how they spent their time. One person said; “I like to watch cookery on the TV.”

Relatives we spoke to were complimentary about the service, one said; “We are delighted. The staff are very highly trained. I think the standard of care is of the highest level.”

Evening meals were seen as a time for everybody to sit down together and reflect on the day’s events. We were told by staff and people who lived at the house confirmed that this was an enjoyable part of the day.

Relatives we spoke to said that the provider was responsive to suggestions and kept in regular contact. One relative told us; “I adore the place, I think it is amazing.”

The provider had systems in place for the review and destruction of documentation in line with the Data Protection Act and National Health Service (NHS) guidelines.

During our visit we spoke with three people living in the home and with two members of staff. We observed staff treating people in a friendly and respectful way. People told us they were happy with the care and support they received and said they were involved in decisions about their daily lives.

We found people were involved in a range of suitable activities both inside the home and in the local community. People were encouraged to be as independent as possible with staff available to offer support as needed.

People said they had no complaints but knew who to speak to if they were unhappy. One person said, “I would tell my key worker if I was unhappy”.

We found all areas of the home to be bright, clean, safe and comfortable. People were happy with their rooms and had brought in personal items to make them more homely.

During our visit we spoke with people who use the service and a relative.

The relative told us they were in regularly contact with their family member by phone and visiting the home. They told us they were very happy with the care and treatment their family member was receiving. They also said their family member would tell them if they were unhappy or had any worries.

The relative told us that staff always kept in touch with them about any changes to their family member’s health and wellbeing. They told us that during their visits to the home they observed staff being courteous and respectful to people. We were told by the relative they were involved in reviews of the care offered and that their views were taken into account.

The relative we spoke with said that had no concerns or worries about the safety and well-being of people who use the service. They told us they have a lot of confidence in the staff and the manner in which they support their family member. They also said they knew who to speak with if they had any concerns or worries. We were told by the relative that staff were very good and that they had confidence in them.

The people who use the service told us they liked living in the home. We saw the people who use the service were treated in a kind and respectful manner by staff.