The inspection took place on 23 September 2016 and was announced.

The service is registered to provide care and support to people in their own homes. At the time of the inspection, the service was providing care and support to 70 people. The level of support offered to people varied and was based on the person’s assessed need and level of independence.

A registered manager was in post when we inspected 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People were happy with the support they received and felt safe with the staff supporting them. They understood how they could access additional help if they needed it. Staff supporting people understood how people needed to be kept safe. Staff had received training on keeping people safe and knew how to report their concerns to the management team.

Staff knew how people needed to be supported and knew about the risks to people’s health. Staff

demonstrated what action they would take to keep people safe. People were happy with the support they received from staff and support was based on people’s individual needs and circumstances.

Staff working at the service were employed following successful completion of the providers recruitment processes. This helped to assure the registered provider that it was safe for the staff to work at the service.

The way that people received their medicines was checked regularly so that people received the help they needed. Each staff member also undertook a daily check to ensure the person had received their medication.

Staff working at the service had access to training and regular supervision. Staff were able to discuss issues important to them and seek further training if needed. Staff understood the importance of obtaining a person’s consent and about people’s ability to make decisions for themselves. People were supported to access appointments they needed to attend such as the GP, optician or dentist. People were also encouraged to maintain a healthy lifestyle through have a healthy diet.

People liked the staff that supported them and felt able to discuss their care. Staff spoke knowledgably about the people they supported and their individual care needs. They understood how people needed to be supported. They were also aware of support networks people had and friendships people wanted to maintain. Staff understood how to care for someone with dignity and respect.

People’s care needs were updated regularly based on their changing circumstances. Staff understood what support people required in order to maintain interests that were important to them. People understood they could complain and how to complain if needed.

People knew the registered manager and had met with her. They understood how the registered manager could be contacted. Staff spoke positively about working at the service and about the support they received. Whilst a number of changes were taking place at the service, staff felt informed about developments. People’s care was regularly reviewed and updated. The registered manager updated the provider regularly with information that demonstrated people’s care was being reviewed and monitored.