The inspection was carried out by an individual inspector. We looked at five specific questions; Was the service safe? Was the service effective? Was the service caring? Was the service responsive? Was the service well led?Below is a summary of what we found. The summary is based on speaking with people using the service, the staff supporting them and from looking at records.
If you want to see the evidence supporting our summary please read the full report.
Was the service safe?
We spoke with three people who used the service. They all told us they were happy with the care and support they received. One person told us, 'It's brilliant here, staff help out when it's needed'. Another told us 'It's really good, staff are friendly'.
We saw evidence that staff received regular training in safeguarding vulnerable adults. This meant they were able to protect people from the risk of harm. We saw that the service had an up to date Safeguarding Policy. Staff had regular training on a variety of subjects and the staff we spoke with told us they felt the training was important as it helped them keep their skills and knowledge up to date. All staff received regular supervision and they felt that supervision was a good source of support for them. This meant that people were cared for by staff who were trained and supported by the service.
Recruitment practice was safe and thorough. There were policies and procedures in place for the service to manage any concerns about staff's performance.
Was the service effective?
People had an assessment of their care needs prior to their admission into the service. People were gradually introduced into their accommodation. This gave them time to get to know other people sharing the tenancy. Once settled people would have a further assessment and care records would be developed. The resulting care records were then reviewed at regular intervals. This ensured that people were having their needs assessed on a regular basis. The service had a key working system in place and the people we spoke with were able to tell us who their key worker was.
Was the service caring?
We spoke with four members of the staff team. They all told us they enjoyed working for the service. One staff member told us 'I enjoy working with people and I like to see people moving on'. Another staff member told us 'People's care records are based on what they want, they are very involved in their care and support'.
Relatives were actively involved in people's care records and reviews. The service sought the views of relatives through their annual service review.
Was the service responsive?
The manager told us that monthly meetings took place and people were encouraged to attend. We looked at the minutes from some of the meetings. They covered a variety of areas such a house keeping and community activities. People told us 'Staff listen to what we have to say and I have seen things change after we have told staff'.
The service had an up to date complaints policy and procedure that people could use if they needed to make a complaint. The service had not received any complaints over the past year. All the people we spoke with told us they knew what to do if they had any concerns about the way they were treated.
Was the service well led?
Staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities and felt able to talk to the manager if they had any concerns.
The service worked well with other agencies and services to make sure people received their care in a joined up way.
The service had a quality assurance system, records seen by us showed that identified shortfalls were addressed promptly.