We undertook an announced inspection of Uxbridge House on 07 June 2017. We told the provider two working days before our visit that we would be coming because the location provided a domiciliary care service for people in their own homes and the registered manager and staff might be not be available to assist with the inspection if they were out visiting people.

Uxbridge House provides a range of services to people in their own home including personal care. Most of the people who used the service were older people, some of whom were living with dementia, and others were younger people living with a learning disability or autism. At the time of our inspection 25 people were receiving personal care in their own homes. All the people using the service were referred and funded by the local authority.

The service was registered with the Care Quality Commission on 22 June 2016 and had not been inspected before.

There was a registered manager in post who was also the nominated individual. 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.

Feedback from people was mostly positive. People said they had regular care workers visiting which enabled them to build a rapport and get to know them.

People and relatives reported that care workers were often late. However, there was evidence that the provider was addressing this issue.

The risks to people's wellbeing and safety had been assessed, and there were detailed plans in place for all the risks identified.

There were procedures for safeguarding adults and the care workers were aware of these. Care workers knew how to respond to any medical emergencies or significant changes in a person's wellbeing.

The service employed enough staff to meet people's needs safely and had contingency plans in place in the event of staff absence. Recruitment checks were in place to obtain information about new staff before they supported people unsupervised.

There were systems in place to ensure that people received their medicines safely and the staff had received training in the management of medicines.

People's needs were assessed by the provider prior to receiving a service and support plans were developed from the assessments. People had taken part in the planning of their care. People we spoke with said that they were happy with the level of care they were receiving from the service.

People’s capacity was assessed by the referring local authority prior to receiving a service from Uxbridge House. People signed their care plans and reviews indicating they had consented to their care and support. The registered manager was aware of their responsibilities in line with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and told us that some of the staff had received training in this. Nobody was being deprived of their liberty unlawfully at the time of our inspection.

People's health and nutritional needs had been assessed, recorded and were being monitored.

Care workers received an induction and shadowing period before delivering care and support to people. They received the training and support they needed to care for people.

There was a complaints procedure in place which the provider followed. People felt confident that if they raised a complaint, they would be listened to and their concerns addressed.

There were systems in place to monitor and assess the quality and effectiveness of the service, and the provider ensured that areas for improvement were identified and addressed.

Staff told us that the manager was approachable and supportive and they encouraged an open and transparent culture within the service. People and staff were supported to raise concerns and make suggestions about where improve