This inspection took place at the service’s office in Cullompton on 14 June and 6 July 2018. We announced our visit the day before to ensure staff were available to assist with the inspection.

Dedicated Care provides personal care to people who need assistance in their own homes. The area the service covers includes Tiverton, Broadclyst and Cullompton . At the time of our inspection there were 34 people receiving a personal care service and 15 staff worked at the service.

At our last inspection in October 2015, we rated the service as good. At this inspection we found evidence continued to support the rating of good in five key questions. From our ongoing monitoring of the service there was no evidence that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

The registered provider provides care to people using the service. 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. Since our last inspection, they have employed a manager, who has applied to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and manages the service on a day to day basis.

People gave us positive feedback about the staff and the management team. They said they could speak with staff if they had a concern and were confident actions would be taken, if required. There was a strong commitment to staff training, which included recognising and reporting abuse, and increasing the staff team’s knowledge and skills. Recruitment practices ensured people were supported by appropriate staff.

Medicines were well managed. People were supported to maintain a balanced diet. Care plans reflected people’s needs and gave staff clear guidance about how to support them safely. Care plans were individualised. People were referred promptly to health care services when required. A number of effective methods were used to assess the quality and safety of the service provided.

Staff demonstrated an understanding of their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act (2005) (MCA). Where people lacked capacity, mental capacity assessments were completed and best interest decisions made in line with the MCA. Staff supported people to be involved in making decisions and planning their own care on a day to day basis. People said staff treated them with dignity and respect in a caring and compassionate way.

This inspection took place at the agency’s office on 30 September and 15 October 2015 and was announced. In between these times we spoke with people using the service, relatives, staff and professionals working with the service. The provider was given short notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be in.

Dedicated Care provides personal care to people who need assistance in their own homes.

The provider, Samantha Rosewell manages the agency but also provides care to people using the service. She is the registered person. 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.

Improvements were needed to the agency’s recruitment process, which were addressed by the end of the inspection. People felt safe and supported by staff in their homes. They said this was because the staff were reliable and did not miss visits. One person said “rest assured we are looked after very well” and another person said “I feel spoiled by the staff”. Staff demonstrated an understanding of what constituted abuse and knew how to report any concerns they might have.

People said the visits from agency staff met their care needs, but also helped with their emotional well-being. People said they were not rushed and enjoyed the company of staff. They told us staff stayed their allotted time. A relative said the staff were “extremely reliable.” People felt cared for by staff; a number of people said staff were “very good” and “wonderful girls.” One person said with this agency “I’m not a package, I’m a person.” People told us staff knew how to care for them; they said this was because staff knew them well. People said they had a regular staff who cared for them and understood their care needs. A relative described the care workers approach as “good and confident.”

The provider and staff could provide flexible care which was responsive to people’s changing needs. There was good communication with health and social care professionals and staff knew when to report concerns and changes to people’s health and well-being.

Staff told us they had the right skills to deliver safe and good quality care. This was because they were supported by an induction and training programme, which was supplemented by supervision and team meetings.

Staff spoke positively about good communication and information. They said the provider worked well with them, encouraged team working and an open culture where discussion could take place.

A number of effective methods were used to assess the quality and safety of the service provided. People knew who the provider was and trusted them to provide good care. They said the provider was approachable and listened to them.