This inspection took place on 4 October 2018 and was announced. This was our first inspection of the service since it was registered with the CQC.

Dimensions Milton Keynes Domiciliary Care office provides care and support to people living in ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live in their own home as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support. At the time of our inspection only one person was receiving personal care from the service.

The service had a registered manager. 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.’

The person being supported was safe, and staff had an understanding of abuse and the safeguarding procedures that should be followed to report abuse. Risk assessments were in place to cover any risks that were present. The staff we spoke with were confident that any concerns they raised would be followed up appropriately by their manager.

Staffing levels were adequate to meet the person being supported current needs and staff recruitment procedures ensured that appropriate pre-employment checks were carried out to ensure only suitable staff worked at the service. References and security checks were carried out as required.

Staff attended induction training where they completed mandatory training courses and were able to shadow more experienced staff giving care. All new staff were taking part in the Care Certificate which teaches the fundamental standards within care. Ongoing training was offered to staff and mandatory areas of training were kept up to date.

Staff supported a person with the administration of medicines, and were trained to do so. Medication administration records were kept accurately.

Staff were trained in infection control, and told us they had the appropriate personal protective equipment to perform their roles safely.

Staff were well supported by the manager and senior team, and had one to one meet ups to discuss any concerns.

Consent was gained before any care was provided and the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 were met.

The person being supported was able to choose the food and drink they wanted and staff supported them with this. Support to access health appointments when necessary, was available.

Staff treated the person with kindness, dignity and respect and spent time getting to know them and their specific needs and wishes.

The person being supported was involved in their own care planning and was able to contribute to the way in which they were supported. Care planning was personalised and mentioned the person’s likes and dislikes, so that staff understood their needs fully.

The service had a complaints procedure in place to ensure that feedback could be gathered about care, and could help the service make improvements where required.

Quality monitoring systems and processes were used effectively to drive future improvement and identify where action was needed.

The service worked in partnership with other agencies to ensure quality of care across all levels. Communication was open and honest, and improvements were highlighted and worked upon as required.