The inspection was announced and took place on 17 November 2016. This was the first inspection for the service.

There were two registered managers in post at the time of our inspection. 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.

H F Trust – West Midlands DCA provides personal care to people in their own home. At the time of our inspection, ten people received personal care from the agency.

People were supported by staff who knew how to keep people safe from potential harm or abuse. Risks to people were assessed and focused on supporting people to gain or maintain their independence. There were adequate levels of staff to meet people’s needs. The appropriate pre-employment checks were completed by the provider before staff supported people on their own. People’s medicines were managed safely.

Staff received training to meet people’s needs. Staff felt supported in their role by the registered manager. People’s rights were protected as staff sought their consent before providing care. People had choices of what they ate and drank and were involved in the preparation of their meals. People were assisted where required to access healthcare professionals.

Relatives felt staff were kind and showed their family member’s respect when providing care. Staff understood people’s choices and supported their independence to partake in a range of different interests and hobbies. People and their relatives were involved in discussions and decisions about their care and support. Relatives said they knew how to raise concerns and were confident issues would be addressed.

Everyone felt the service was well managed. Relatives said the management team was supportive and approachable. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities. The provider had audit systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of service provided.