We inspected this service on 23 November 2016. This was an announced inspection and we telephoned the provider two days prior to our inspection to ensure staff would be available to meet with us.

Caremark (Thanet) provides personal care support for 75 people who live in their own homes.

There was a registered manager 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.

Some incidents which met the criteria for referral or discussion with the local safeguarding authority had been investigated locally but not reported as required. People and staff had some concerns about staff continuity and communication within the company. The provider and the registered manager recognised the need for improvement in these areas.

People’s care was planned to meet their needs. Potential risks were identified and management plans were in place to guide staff on the best way to reduce the risks. Staff understood their role in protecting people from harm and poor care. There were recruitment procedures in place to ensure staff were suitable to work within a caring environment. People were supported with or given their prescribed medicines in a safe manner.

Staff had access to training to improve their knowledge of care and enhance their skills. Staff sought people’s consent before providing care and supported people when they needed help with their decision making.

People received kind and compassionate care. Staff supported people to maintain their dignity, independence and privacy. Staff gained information about what was important to people so that they could provide care which met their preferences.

People were provided with information about raising concerns or complaints and were happy to speak with staff about their worries. People were given opportunities to share their views of the service and action was taken to reflect their comments. There were audits in place to monitor the quality of the service to identify where improvements could be made.

We spoke with two people who use the service. Both were satisfied with the care and support provided and the way in which it was delivered. One person told us, "I have used another agency before but they weren't as good as this one. I had to fit round them but not now". Another person told us, "The care is excellent. They can't do enough".

We saw that people's consent was obtained where possible before care and treatment was undertaken. We observed that the care given was safe and appropriate and based on effective care planning and risk assessments. This meant that people's individual needs were met and preferences were taken into account.

People were protected from abuse and cared for in a safe and inclusive environment. We noted that staff were supported in delivering safe care. This meant that the care was of an appropriate standard. We also found that the provider had an effective system in place to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people received.