This announced inspection took place between 25 August and 27 October 2016. We last inspected this service in August 2014. At that inspection we found that the provider was meeting all of the regulations that we assessed.

Beacon Homecare Services Limited provides personal care and support to adults living in their own homes. The agency is based in Penrith and provides support to people in Penrith and the surrounding areas. Services offered by the agency include personal care, shopping, housework and preparing meals.

There was a registered manager employed at 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People received support from staff who they knew and who had the skills and knowledge to provide their care. The staff were kind and friendly and people looked forward to their visits. There were enough staff to provide support as people needed. All new staff were checked to make sure they were suitable to work in people’s homes.

People were safe because hazards to their safety had been identified and managed. Staff were aware of how people could be at risk and took action to protect people from abuse.

People were supported to maintain their independence and to remain in their own homes. This was very important to them and they valued the support they received.

Medicines were handled safely and people received the support they required to maintain their health. People received the support they needed with preparing their meals and drinks.

People agreed to the support they received and their wishes and rights were respected.

The service was well managed. There were appropriate arrangements to ensure the effective management of the agency. People knew the members of the agency’s management team and said they were friendly and helpful. The registered manager responded promptly if people raised concerns and resolved these to their satisfaction.

People were asked for their views and action was taken in response to their comments. The management team monitored the quality of the service and took action where they identified areas that could be further improved.

We considered our inspection findings to answer questions we always ask:

• Is the service safe?

• Is the service effective?

• Is the service caring?

• Is the service responsive?

• Is the service well-led?

This is a summary of what we found.

Is the service safe?

Systems were in place to help make sure that the service learned from events such as accidents, incidents, complaints and investigations. This helped to identify any risks and helped the service to improve.

The registered manager set the staff rotas. They took into consideration people’s care needs when making decisions about the numbers, skills and experience of the staff required. This helped to make sure people’s needs were met appropriately and safely.

Staff recruitment practices were safe and thorough. We found that appropriate checks had been carried out before staff started working with people who used this service. Policies and procedures were in place with regard to staff recruitment, discipline and staff supervision. These procedures helped to make sure people were protected and supported with their needs safely.

Is the service effective?

We saw examples of people’s care plans during our visit to the service. We found that they had been regularly reviewed and updated when necessary. The people we spoke to about their experience of Beacon Homecare confirmed that they had copies of their care plans and that “people from the office” came out to see them to make sure everything was “all right”. One person told us, “If there are any changes, they always make sure the staff are aware of them. New care plans are provided quickly in the event of changes”.

One of the social care professionals we spoke to told us, “They are very good at supporting people who can be challenging or want to live in a particular way. They have provided incredible support to one of my service users”.

Is the service caring?

We spoke to six people who used this service. We asked them for their opinions about the service and the staff that supported them. The feedback we received was positive, for example; “I cannot fault them (care staff) they are so caring and dependable”, “They go above the call of duty sometimes, they are very good” and “The staff look after my relative very well. They take their time and don’t rush”.

We spoke with some of the staff that worked at this care service. It was evident that they knew the people they supported very well and cared about their wellbeing. Staff knew about people’s individual needs and had access to care plans and risk assessments within the homes of the people they supported.

Is the service responsive?

The people we spoke with knew how to raise a concern or complaint if they were unhappy. Most of the people we spoke to did not have any concerns or complaints about the service. One person told us that there had been “little hiccups” but that these had been “sorted out quickly when brought to the attention of the people in the office”.

One of the social workers we spoke to told us that the service was always “quick to respond to requests when service was needed.”

Is the service well-led?

The service had a quality assurance system in place. The sample of records and information we looked at showed that any problems identified had been dealt with quickly. We (CQC) had identified some shortfalls in the quality of the service at our last inspection in October 2013. The provider developed an action plan showing how and when the issues identified would be addressed. We found that the provider had made the improvements we had asked them to make.

The staff we spoke to told us about their roles and responsibilities. They told us about the systems that were in place to monitor their practice and help them with their professional development.

As part of this inspection we visited the offices of the care agency, spoke to seven of the people who used this service and two of their relatives. We also looked at a sample of eight care and support plans and some of the records relating to people who were employed by the agency.

The people we spoke to told us that they had a copy of their care plan in their home. They told us that people from the agency came to check that their care and support needs were being met appropriately. People told us that their care workers usually turned up at the times expected. However, everyone we spoke to told us that they received their care from lots of different care workers. One person said, "I don't always know who I am getting and I don't like this." Another person told us, "There is very little continuity. It would be nice if we could have the same few carers."

Everyone we spoke to was complimentary about the care workers that did attend them. Staff were described as "Very good, respectful and nice." One person said, "The senior carer who attends is a lovely little lass, she always has a smile on her face."

People who used the service said that they felt "safe" with their care workers and knew who to contact at the agency if they ever had concerns or a problem. The owners of the agency were described as "Very approachable".

There were some areas of concern that the provider needed to deal with quickly to make sure that people who used this service were safe and protected from the risks of harm.

We found that the provider did not always tell us about concerning incidents that had occurred at the agency. Staff knowledge was not up to date with regard to safeguarding people from abuse and there were gaps in the processes used to recruit new workers to the agency.

We contacted people who received care from the agency and also spoke with family members of people who were being supported by the agency. We asked people for their views about the service and the care and support staff provided. The people we spoke with told us they were happy with the support provided and said the service provided a "wonderful" and "very good" quality of care. People said they had been included in agreeing the care to be provided by the service and had a copy of their care records and agreement and good information had been provided in the service guide.

Everyone we spoke with told us they felt safe receiving care from the service and that it was "reliable" and one person told us that "They are excellent and really lovely" with their relative and the care they gave. People using the service also confirmed that they knew who was coming to visit them in advance and there was good continuity with staff who knew them well. People told us they knew who they could speak to if they had a concern or complaint and said they would be confident raising concerns with the manager of the agency.

We found that the agency was well organised. The provider had systems in place to identify, assess and manage risks and to ensure that care was delivered effectively and to people's satisfaction.