The inspection was announced. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. We did this to ensure key staff would be available at the service. At the time of the inspection the service was providing personal care to 20 people living within nine different supported living services.

There was a registered manager in post at the service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider. 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 the time of the inspection the service employed, a registered manager, deputy manager, senior care staff, house managers and care staff.

Support was provided to assist people in their everyday lives, in areas such as personal care, household tasks and engaging in activities. Support is provided in people's own homes (supported living) and can range from 24 hour care to an agreed number of hours on a daily basis.

People told us they felt safe when receiving care and felt care staff had a good understanding of their needs. There were thorough processes in place to ensure every person who used the service had a detailed care plan that addressed their care needs and any risks to their safety and wellbeing.

Staffing levels were sufficient to meet people’ needs and protect them from harm. The service carried out pre-employment checks on staff before they worked with people to assess their suitability.

People spoke highly of the staff that provided their care and people’s relatives were also complimentary of staff. Staff we spoke with demonstrated they were aware of people’s individual needs and understood their preferences.

There was training and support available to staff to ensure they had the skills and knowledge they needed to support people effectively. Staff received supervision and appraisal aimed at improving the care and support they provided. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities in supporting people to make their own choices and decisions.

People gave consent before any care was provided. Staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and gave examples of how they supported people with decisions about their care and daily lives. Where required, legal documentation was in place where others had made decisions on behalf of those people who lacked capacity to do so.

People who used the service were provided with personalised care which was based on their individual needs, wishes and goals. People were fully involved in the development of their care plans and felt their views and opinions about how their care was provided were encouraged. Care records were reviewed with people and they had also been provided with sufficient information about the service.

People received a service that was well-led because the registered manager provided good leadership and management. Systems were in place to check on the standards within the service.

The registered manager had an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of the service that people received. Quality assurance systems involved people who used the service and staff, which helped to ensure they had a say in the development of the service.