This was an announced inspection which took place over two days the 22 and 30 June 2016. The service was last inspected in December 2014, but was not rated at that time as there was not enough activity to make a judgement.

Gateshead Home Support, Henshaws Society for Blind People is based in Gateshead and provides personal care and support to people, some of whom have sensory impairments, in their own homes. The service was supporting three people at the time of inspection.

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.

We found that people’s care was delivered safely and in a manner of their choosing. People were supported in a way that reflected their wishes and assisted them to remain as independent as possible. Staff were aware of signs of potential safeguarding issues and knew how to raise them internally and externally.

Staff were well trained and encouraged to look for new ways to improve their work. Staff felt valued by the registered manager and this was reflected in the way they talked about the service and the registered manager. Staff received regular supervision and support.

People who used the service were initially assessed and then matched up with suitably trained staff to support their needs, and if people requested changes to hours of support these were facilitated quickly. People and relatives were complimentary of the service, and felt included and involved by the staff and registered manager.

There were high levels of contact between the staff and people with staff seeking feedback and offering support as people’s needs changed. People and their relatives were able to raise any questions or concerns with the service and were confident these would be acted upon. No one we spoke with had any issues or complaints about the service they received.

Staff worked to keep people involved in activities that mattered to them where possible. Relatives thought that staff were open with them about issues and sought their advice and support with the permission of the person.

The registered manager was seen as an experienced leader, by staff, people using the service and peoples relatives. The registered manager was trusted and had created a strong sense of commitment to meeting people’s diverse needs, supporting their staff and developing a better service. The registered manager had identified the need to develop quality assurance processes if the service expanded further.

The inspection took place on 16 December 2014 and was announced. This was the first inspection of the service since it was registered with the Commission in 2012, as the service had only recently become active earlier in 2014.

Gateshead Home Support – Henshaws Society for Blind People is based in Gateshead and provides personal care and support to people with sensory impairments in their own homes. At the time of our inspection the service had been supporting one person and their child for three months. We concluded that it was too soon to give the service a quality rating.

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.

We found that the service was provided by a small team of staff who were skilled and experienced in caring for people with sensory impairments and disabilities. The registered manager and staff had taken steps to ensure the person and their child were safely supported and safeguarded from harm.

Staff were appropriately trained and supported and were effective in meeting the person’s needs. The person received flexible and consistent support and had formed good relationships with their workers. They were able to direct the way their support was given and their support was planned in line with what they wanted to achieve.

The person told us they were happy with the service, that staff were supportive and their well-being and confidence had improved. Their feedback was sought and they had no complaints about the way they were treated or the service in general. The service was well managed and checks were carried out to assure the quality of the service.