The inspection of 88 Woodhurst Avenue took place on 28/09/2017 and on the 3/10/2017 we obtained feedback from peoples relatives. The inspection was undertaken by one inspector. The inspection was unannounced. 88 Woodhurst Avenue provides accommodation and personal care for up to six people who have autism spectrum disorder and or mental health conditions. At the time of our inspection six people were living at the home.

At the last inspection on 03 November 2015 the service was rated good in all areas. At this inspection we found that the service demonstrated excellent outcomes for people who used the service.

The home 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.

People told us they felt safe living at the home. Staff were knowledgeable about people`s conditions, possible triggers and were able to promptly identify changes in people’s needs. Staff were proactive in observing and supporting people and deescalating potentially risky situations.

There was an embedded safety culture at the home where people were involved in developing policies and procedures and safety protocols together with staff. Staff discussed risks with people and enabled them to take decisions regarding the actions and processes needed to mitigate risks and keep people safe.

People were educated in safety protocols and attended fire safety and first aid training together with staff to ensure they were confident and able to maintain their own safety in case of an emergency.

Risks to people`s safety and well-being were assessed and actions were put in place to mitigate these risks. People were able to take positive risks and this was encouraged and supported by staff who provided people with information so they could weigh up the positives and the negatives of their decisions. This enabled people to be in control and live their lives in a way they wanted.

Staff demonstrated an excellent understanding about safeguarding procedures and signs of possible abuse. They told us they reported any concerns to senior staff on duty or their manager and they were aware of the whistleblowing procedures if they needed to elevate any concerns externally to local safeguarding authorities. People who used the service had also had training in how to recognise and report possible abuse and this empowered people and helped them to feel safe.

People told us there were sufficient staff employed to meet their needs at all times. We observed that people were supported when they required the support and had full control of how and when they were supported. Staff were recruited through robust procedures which ensured that staff working at the home were of good character and were suitable to work with the people they would be supporting. People who used the service were involved in the recruitment process and gave feedback about the applicants which meant that they were able to connect with staff from very early stages and form important relationships.

People were supported to take their medicines safely by staff who had received training and had their competencies checked. People where they could were encouraged to self-medicate and participate in regular medicine reviews.

People`s consent to the care and support they received was obtained and staff worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 for people who lacked capacity to make certain decisions to ensure that the care and support they received was in their best interest.

People told us and we observed they ate and drank sufficient amounts to maintain their health and well-being. People were actively involved in the buying, preparation and cooking a range of healthy and nutritious foods.

We carried out an unannounced inspection on 3 November 2015.

Woodhurst is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to six people who have Autism spectrum disorders, Asperger’s syndrome and or a Mental Health condition. At the time of the inspection, there were 5 people living at and being supported by the service.

The service had a recently appointed a manager who had been working for the provider in a different role. The manager was in the process of registering with the Care Quality Commission. 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.

People’s needs had been assessed, and personalised support plans detailed people’s individual needs, preferences, and choices. There were risk assessments in place for all aspects of the person’s daily living and these gave staff information and guidance on how risks to people could be managed, or mitigated There were processes in place to safeguard people from the risk of avoidable harm.

The provider had an effective recruitment process in place and there were sufficient skilled and experienced staff to support people safely. Staff had a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities and had clear lines of accountability.

Staff obtained people’s consent and this was recorded, however there was no formal written consent policy in place. This was under review at the time of our inspection. Staff demonstrated that they gave people appropriate choices prior to care being provided.

Staff received training relevant to their roles and responsibilities. There were regular support arrangements in place and staff were appraised annually.

Staff were caring and respectful to the people they supported and to each other. People were encouraged and supported to pursue interests and hobbies. People were supported to access health services including their GP, dental appointments and other healthcare professional as required.

The provider had a policy and procedure for investigating complaints. They encouraged feedback from people and took action when they received feedback to continually improve the quality of the service.

The provider had effective quality monitoring processes in place and these were being reviewed by the newly appointed manager. Records were all held securely in locked filing cabinets in the staff office which was a separate unit in the garden of the service.