About the service:

Whincup Care Limited provides accommodation and personal care for up to six adults with a learning a disability and adults with autistic spectrum disorders. At the time of our inspection four people used the service and one person was transitioning to a community setting.

People's experience of using this service:

• The provider had made improvements to the service since our last inspection on 9 and 10 January 2018.

• The service now met the characteristics for a rating of "good" in all key questions.

• There were improved systems for the management of medicines.

• Notifiable safety incidents were reported and acted upon by the service.

• 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. However, mental capacity assessments did not always fully conform with the mental capacity code of practice. The registered manager took immediate action to rectify this during our inspection.

• Staff received appropriate training and support to ensure they could carry out their roles effectively. We have made a recommendation that the service provides data protection training for all staff.

• The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by the promotion of choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

• Care planning documentation clearly identified people’s diverse needs, preferences and choices.

• The service provided strong leadership to a motivated staff team who felt valued by management.

• The service had quality assurance processes to measure, document, improve and evaluate the quality of care.

• People and relatives told us that staff were kind and respected their preferences and decisions.

Rating at last inspection:

At the last inspection the service was rated “requires improvement” (16 February 2018) and we found breaches of Regulation 11 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 and Regulation 18 of the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009. Following the last inspection, we asked the provider to complete an action plan to show what they would do and by when to improve the key questions, Safe, Effective and Well-Led to at least “good”. At this inspection we found there were improvements.

Why we inspected:

All services rated "requires improvement" are re-inspected within one year of our published inspection report date. This inspection was part of our scheduled plan of visiting services to check the safety and quality of care people received.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor the service to ensure that people receive safe, high quality care. Further inspections will be planned for future dates.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk.

The inspection took place on 9 and 10 January 2018 and was unannounced. This was the services first inspection following registration in February 2017. The service provides support for people with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder. It is registered to accommodate up to six people. At the time of our inspection there were three people using the service. The service requires a registered manager to manage the service. There was no registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. The previous registered manager left their post in March 2017. However, the service did not start operating until August 2017 and manager arrangements were in place. The person managing the service at the time of our visit had recently put forward an application to become the registered manager of the service.

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.

Whincup Care is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The service accommodates six people in one adapted building.

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.

Medicines were not always managed in line with best practice. We saw some medicines were crushed without authorisation from the GP or pharmacist. In addition there was no protocol in place for the administration of ‘as required’ medicines. However, this was address with immediate effect by the person managing the service.

People were protected against abuse and neglect. Staff we spoke with were knowledgeable of the procedure to follow if they had any concerns or suspected abuse had occurred. Safeguarding information was displayed throughout the premises.

We observed staff engaged well with the people using the service and spent quality time with people without rushing them. Staff received training and support to enable them to carry out their role. We were told that specific training was being sourced to ensure staff could communicate effectively with the people they supported. 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.

Risk assessments were in place to ensure people‘s safety. Where risks were identified a support plan was formulated to provide people with safe care and support.

The service did not follow the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. We did not see recording of consent and best interest decisions. People who lacked capacity did not have relevant assessments and documentation in place to ensure they, or people acting on their behalf, had consented to living at Whincup Care.

Accidents and incidents were recorded. However, reportable safety incidents had not been submitted and reported in line with legislation.

People were able to choose food of their choice. Where specific nutrition was required the service accommodated this.

Responsive care was provided to people, wishes preferences likes and dislikes were considered when planning care and support. People were able to access the community in a variety of ways.

People and their families were given a complaints procedure when they first joined the service. This was in an accessible format for people using the servic