This announced inspection took place on 09 and 10 May 2017. This was the provider’s first inspection since their registration in May 2016. Helping Hands Bromley is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people living in their homes. At the time of the inspection 39 people were using the service.

The service did not have a registered manager in post. The previous registered manager left in December 2016. 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 regional manager (Head of Homecare) told us that for the recruitment of a new manager interviews were scheduled for the week following our inspection. At the time of our inspection the service was managed by a full time interim manager and supported by the regional manager. The manager demonstrated good knowledge of people’s needs and the needs of the staffing team.

People and their relatives told us they felt safe with the staff. The service had clear procedures to recognise and respond to abuse. All staff completed safeguarding training. Senior staff completed risk assessments for people who used the service which provided guidance for staff to minimise identified risks. The service had a system to manage accidents and incidents to reduce reoccurrence.

The service had enough staff to support people and carried out satisfactory recruitment checks before they started working. The service had an on call system to make sure staff had support outside the office working hours. Staff supported people so they took their medicines safely. The service provided an induction and training, and supported staff through regular supervision to help them undertake their role.

People’s consent was sought before care was provided. The manager was aware of the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). At the time of inspection they told us they were not supporting any people who did not have the capacity to make decisions for themselves. Care records we saw confirmed this.

Staff supported people to eat and drink enough to meet their needs. People’s relatives coordinated health care appointments to meet people’s needs, and staff were available to support people to access health care appointments if needed.

Staff supported people in a way which was caring, respectful, and protected their privacy and dignity. Staff developed people’s care plans that were tailored to meet their individual needs. Care plans were reviewed regularly and were up to date.

The service had a clear policy and procedure for managing complaints. People knew how to complain and would do so if necessary. The service sought the views of people who used the services. Staff felt supported by the acting manager. The service had an effective system to assess and monitor the quality of the care people received.