About the service: Five Star Support is a domiciliary care agency that was providing personal care to 12 people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities autism at the time of our inspection.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

People’s experience of using this service: People’s consent to care had not been recorded in their care plans. Staff were not supported with regular supervisions and appraisals. Quality assurance processes were not always effective.

We have made recommendations around quality assurance processes and recording consent.

Risks were assessed and addressed. People were supported by stable staffing teams who had been safely recruited. Medicines were managed safely.

People were supported to eat and drink. Staff worked effectively with external professionals. Staff received regular training. 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 received kind and caring support. Relatives spoke positively about staff at the service.

People received personalised support. Staff supported people to access activities they enjoyed. The provider had an effective complaints policy. Nobody was receiving end of life care but procedures were in place to support with this where needed.

Staff spoke positively about the culture and values of the service. Feedback was regularly sought from people, relatives and staff and was acted on.

We identified one breach of the Health and Social Care Act (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, around supervisions and appraisals. Please see the ‘action we have told the provider to take’ section towards the end of the report.

Rating at last inspection: This was the first inspection of the service since it was registered in January 2018.

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection under our inspection programme.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.