Harrogate Homecare Limited provides personal care and support to people in Harrogate and the surrounding area. Before we visited the manager told us that 36 people were receiving a personal care service.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Feedback from people who used the service and from relatives was wholly positive. People spoke extremely highly about the care they received and they and their relatives spoke positively about staff sensitivity, kindness and compassion.

Staff were found to be thoughtful, friendly and courteous and acted to promote people’s independence and sense of emotional wellbeing.

Appropriate arrangements were in place to assess and manage risks safely including potential risks associated with medicines management. Safe recruitment practice was followed, which minimised the risk of appointing someone unsuitable for the job.

Staff had received training including safeguarding training and were confident that the manager would act to respond to any concerns.

People are 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 support this practice.

People were actively involved in discussions and decisions made about their care and they were supported to eat and drink according to their plan of care.

People’s care needs were met effectively by staff who were trained to ensure that they had the right skills and knowledge to provide safe care.

Care plans detailed people’s care and support needs. Care workers knew about people’s support needs and provided a service that met their individual needs. Appropriate systems were in place to ensure staff were kept updated about people’s changing needs in a timely way and able to act upon advice from health and social care professionals.

People told us they had not needed to complain. However, they were confident that any issues they raised would be dealt with appropriately.

People who used the service and their relatives felt managers and care workers were approachable and they were able to give feedback about the service.

We undertook an announced inspection of Harrogate Homecare Limited on 23 June 2015. We told the provider two days before our visit that we would be coming.

At our last inspection on 11 December 2013 the provider was meeting the regulations that were assessed.

Harrogate Homecare Limited provides up to 24 hour support to people who need help to remain at home. At the time of our visit 28 people were receiving a personal care 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.

We have made a recommendation in relation to following best practice guidance on the safe administration of medicines.

During our visit the registered manager presented as knowledgeable and approachable and someone who provided clear leadership. This view was confirmed by people who used the service, relatives and the staff we spoke with. People told us that they were always treated with dignity and respect. They spoke highly of the care that was provided and were confident that any issues that they might raise would be acted upon.

We found that effective management systems were in place to safeguard people and to promote their welfare. People were supported by care workers who had the right mix of skills to make sure that practice was safe and they could respond to unforeseen events. People spoke positively about their care workers and said that they received a consistent, reliable service.

Care workers had received appropriate training including training in safeguarding adults and on the safe administration of medicines. Care workers were knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities and had the skills, knowledge and experience required to support people safely. Appropriate communication systems were used to update managers and care workers about people’s changing care needs. This ensured people continued to receive safe, effective care that met their needs.

Safe recruitment practice was followed, which minimised the risk of appointing someone unsuitable for the job. We found that people’s care was designed to meet people’s care needs in a responsive, personalised way.

There were examples of good partnership working that enhanced people’s care and wellbeing. One example was the joint training with health care and social care staff, which enabled them to focus on human factors which may arise in dealing with crisis situations or in the provision of palliative care. The staff we spoke with who had completed this training confirmed it had provided them with an insight into their own practice and feedback had assisted them to develop strategies to deal with situations that might occur.

Individual staff also undertook lead roles in the service for dementia care, palliative care and quality assurance. These arrangements were being used to identify improvements and take action to drive continuous improvement and make sure people received good, consistent care.

People were supported to attend healthcare appointments and care workers liaised with other healthcare professionals as required to meet people’s needs. People were supported to eat and drink according to their plan of care.

Care workers were aware of the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and understood how they should this in their work to make sure that people’s rights and freedoms were upheld.

We spoke with four people who used the service on the day of the visit to the agency. Everyone told us that they were very satisfied with the care and support they received. People told us that staff were, "Very kind, I am over the moon with them " and "Staff are wonderful, I am very satisfied." Everyone said that staff arrived on time and if they did happen to be delayed they received a courtesy telephone call to let them know the carer would be with them as soon as possible.

We looked at two people's care records and saw that people had been included in decisions about how their care was provided and their preferences and wishes respected. One person we spoke with said, "Care is excellent, I cannot fault them."

Staff we spoke with told us they received training which they said helped them to deliver care and support safely.

There were safe systems in place for supporting people with their medication. The agency had a medication policy and staff received training which included a practical test to demonstrate competency.

Staff were supported in their jobs and received training which helped develop their skills and knowledge. Staff met regularly and they told us there was good team work and support from the manager.

The agency had systems in place to make sure people were safely cared for. This included policies and procedures, training for staff and quality monitoring systems.

We spoke to people who use the service by telephone and with the staff and the management team both by telephone and during our visit.

People who use the service told us that they were happy and satisfied with the care and support being provided. Comments made to us during this review included, "Exemplary care.” “I cannot fault anything they do.” and “I am very lucky they are first class.” People also told us that staff supported them as they wished to be supported and were always professional.

When we spoke to staff they told us they were well trained and felt confident to do their work. They said that they were also consistently well supported and were provided with the information they needed to do their jobs.