Care Direct & Support Solutions (Luton) Office is a domiciliary care service for adults of all ages who may have a range of care needs including, physical disabilities, mental health, dementia, sensory impairments, and learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorders. There were four people using the service at the time of this inspection.

The inspection took place on 22, 27 and 28 June 2017 and was announced. It was the first inspection of this service, since it registered with the Care Quality Commission on 29 April 2016.

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.

People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Staff had been trained to recognise signs of potential abuse and were confident about reporting any concerns they might have, and risks associated with people’s care were managed positively.

There were sufficient numbers of staff to meet people’s needs, and people received their care when they needed it. Robust checks were carried out for new staff, to make sure they were suitable to work at the service.

Systems were in place to ensure medicines were managed in a safe way and that people received their medicines as prescribed.

Staff had the right skills and knowledge to meet people’s needs. They had received training to carry out their roles, including support to meet the individual needs of people using the service.

Staff sought peoples’ consent before offering care and support, and involved them in making decisions about their mental capacity.

Where responsible, staff supported people to have enough to eat and drink.

Staff were clear about the importance of monitoring people’s health needs and seeking additional support and advice as required.

Staff provided care and support in a caring and meaningful way. They treated people with kindness and compassion, and respected their privacy and dignity at all times.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. They were given opportunities to express their views on the service they received, and to be actively involved in making decisions about their care and support.

A complaints procedure had been developed to let people know how to raise concerns about the service if they needed to. People were confident in raising concerns if they needed to do so.

The registered manager provided effective leadership at the service, and promoted a positive culture that was open and transparent. Everyone felt the registered manager was approachable and helpful.

Systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service provided, and to drive continuous improvement.