Orwell East

At the time of this announced inspection of 22 and 27 November 2017 there were 12 people who used the service. Ten people were living in 'supported living' settings and two people received domiciliary care in their own homes. The provider was given up to 48 hours' notice because it is a small service and we wanted to be certain the registered manager and key staff would be available on the day of our inspection. We also wanted to give them sufficient time to make arrangements with people so that we could visit them in their homes to find out their experience of the service. This service was registered with CQC on 10 June 2011.

At the last inspection of 30 November 2015 the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found that the service remained Good.

A registered manager was in post. 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. They were supported by a team leader who was in charge of the day to day running of the service.

The service continued to provide a safe service to people. This included systems in place intended to minimise the risks to people, including from abuse, mobility, nutrition and with their medicines. Support workers understood their roles and responsibilities in keeping people safe. They were available when people needed assistance and had been recruited safely.

People and their relatives were complimentary about the care provided and the approach of the registered manager and support workers. People told us that they felt safe and well cared for. Support workers had developed good relationships with people. People were able to express their views and support workers and management listened to what they said and took action to ensure their decisions were acted on. Support workers consistently protected people's privacy and dignity.

People were supported to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced diet. They were also supported to maintain good health and access healthcare services. Systems were in place to receive, record, store and administer medicines safely. Where people required assistance to take their medicines there were arrangements in place to provide this support safely.

People received care that was personalised and responsive to their needs. People's care records were

detailed and reflected a holistic approach. They consistently demonstrated how people were actively involved in making decisions about their ongoing care and support. This ensured they received care and support which was planned and delivered to meet their specific needs in accordance with their wishes

People were supported by support workers who were trained and supported to meet their needs. They 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.

The service listened to people's experiences, concerns and complaints and took action where needed. People, relatives and staff told us the registered manager was accessible, supportive and had good leadership skills. The service had a quality assurance system and shortfalls were identified and addressed. As a result the quality of the service continued to improve.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found