This inspection took place on 16 and 20 April 2018 and was announced.

Elite Care Solutions is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to both adults and children living in their own homes with a range of needs including physical and learning disabilities and dementia related conditions. At the time of this inspection 56 people were being supported by the service.

There was a registered manager at the service. 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. In addition, there was also a manager in post at the time of the inspection, although it was their last day at the company. They were managed by the registered manager and assisted with the daily running of the service.

This was a comprehensive inspection that looked at whether the service was safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring 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.

People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff. Staff had been recruited safely and were knowledgeable about how to keep people safe from harm. Risks were identified and clearly documented in people’s care plans.

Staff administered people’s medication as prescribed and supported independence with this wherever possible. Guidance was in place to support staff to administer medications, but some of these required more detail. We spoke with the registered manager and they agreed to rectify.

People received effective support from staff that were knowledgeable about their individual needs and able to support them in line with their preferences. People’s care plans were person-centred and reflected their needs, health conditions, interests and how they wanted support to be provided.

People were supported by qualified and skilled staff to meet their needs. Staff were supported in their role and encouraged to access ongoing training, as well as having regular supervision and appraisals.

The registered manager and staff understood their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People were supported to make their own decisions and consent was gained before care or support was provided.

Staff were caring and understood the importance of confidentiality and respected people’s privacy. People were supported to be independent and were treated with respect. They were involved in care planning and attended regular reviews of their care. Staff were responsive to people’s needs and supported them to access healthcare services and pursue their hobbies and interests.

People’s views were listened to and responded to. People felt able to complain in the event they were unhappy with the service they received. There were effective quality assurance systems in place to monitor the quality of the service provided, understand the experiences of people who used the service and identify any concerns.

There was a positive culture and the registered manager was committed to driving improvement. Staff worked in partnership with other organisations and professionals to achieve outcomes for people who used the service and keep up-to-date with best practice.

Further information is in the detailed findings below

Elite Care Solutions Ltd is a domiciliary care agency located in Ashby, close to the town centre of Scunthorpe in North Lincolnshire. The registered office is located in a privately rented block of shops. The office is provided on one level, offers access for wheelchair users and provides car parking space at the front of the premises.

The service provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes. The service supports children, young people and adults with a range of conditions including learning disabilities, autistic spectrum disorder, physical disability and dementia related conditions. At the time of our inspection the service was supporting 60 people.

This announced inspection took place on 12 January 2016. The last inspection took place on 3 October 2013 and the service was compliant with all of the areas that we assessed.

The service had 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.

The service was safe. There were policies and procedures to guide staff in how to safeguard people from the risk of harm and abuse. Staff understood how to report potential abuse and had received training to reinforce their understanding.

People received support from adequate numbers of staff who had been recruited safely and had received a comprehensive induction when they first joined the service. Staff had completed a range of training to ensure they had the skills and knowledge required to meet people’s assessed needs effectively.

People were referred to appropriate health professionals when there was a change in their needs and staff followed recommendations and guidelines from professionals. Staff organised and supported people to attend healthcare appointments when required.

People told us staff treated them with respect and were kind and caring. Staff had a good understanding of people’s preferences and staff demonstrated they understood how to promote peoples independence whilst protecting their privacy and dignity. People were consulted and involved in decisions about their care and staff had completed training and understood the Mental Capacity Act 2005, which helped to protect people’s rights.

People who used the service were involved with the planning and delivery of their care. Care plans and risk assessments were updated as required. People were encouraged to be active members of the community and staff supported them to access a range of activities and social events to ensure they led busy and fulfilled lifestyles.

The service had a complaints procedure in place and people felt they could raise concerns and they would be addressed. The service completed regular audits to ensure practice remained safe and effective.

Staff felt supported and listened to by the registered manager. Staff told us it was a nice place to work and there was a culture of being fair and flexible across the organisation. Staff received supervision and were consulted if changes were taking place in the organisation.

Questionnaires were completed by people who used the service, their relatives and staff and the feedback we saw very positive. The registered provider was also the registered manager and was involved in the day to day running and management of the service.

As part of this inspection we spoke to some of the people who used the service by telephone. The service provides care to young children and we spoke to some of the parents to gain their views.

Before people received any care or treatment they were asked for their consent and the provider acted in accordance with their wishes. People who used the service told us that their care package had been discussed and agreed with them before commencement of the service. They confirmed they had signed to agree the care package.

People’s needs were assessed and care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with their individual care plan. People who used the service told us they were very satisfied with the care they or their relative received.

People were protected against the risks associated with medicines because the provider had appropriate arrangements in place to manage medicines.

Staff received appropriate professional development and support. People who used the service told us they felt care staff were competent in their role.

People who use the service, their representatives and staff were asked for their views about their care and treatment and they were acted on. We saw that surveys were completed by people who used the service as an on-going practice through the year. The responses received showed that people were satisfied with the service and very positive comments were recorded.

As part of this review we contacted five people by telephone to discuss the service they received from the agency. Where people were unable to speak to us over the telephone we spoke to their relatives.

People we spoke with were positive about the care and support they received. They told us they were able to be as independent as possible and that their privacy and dignity was respected. Comments included “I was able to choose my carers, for example I didn’t want young carers. They also try to match carer’s personalities to yours.”

People told us that they had their needs assessed and had a care plan which had been discussed and agreed with them. They told us that the care plans were regularly reviewed and updated if necessary. One person told us they felt “Involved” in their care plan.

They told us that they liked the staff who visit them and that the service was well organised. Comments included "They are reliable and consistent and let me know if they are running late” and “A rota is provided the week before so we know exactly who is coming.”

People using the service told us they felt safe and felt comfortable to raise any complaints. They told us the staff were “Polite and pleasant” and “Really nice.” They confirmed that they had received information about reporting any concerns they may have and told us that the senior staff completed regular spot checks of the staff.