The inspection started on 19 November 2015. We gave notice of our intention to visit Home Instead Senior Care – Fareham and Gosport to make sure people we needed to speak to were available. We completed the inspection in July and August 2016 by speaking to people who used the service and staff by telephone. We have been in contact with the provider with regard to the extended timescales. The provider co-operated fully with our approach to this inspection and supplied all information we requested in a timely fashion

Home Instead Senior Care – Fareham and Gosport provides personal care services to people in their own homes who may be living with mental health needs, a physical disability or sensory impairment. At the time of our inspection there were 27 people receiving personal care and support from the service. The support given to people ranged from 22 hours a day to two calls a week.

There was 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.

The provider made sure staff knew about the risks of abuse and avoidable harm and had suitable processes in place if staff needed to report concerns. The provider identified, assessed, managed and reduced other risks to people’s health and wellbeing. There were enough staff to support people safely according to their needs. Robust recruitment procedures were in place to make sure staff were suitable to work in a care setting. Procedures and processes were in place to make sure medicines were handled safely.

Staff received support to obtain and maintain the skills and knowledge they required to support people according to their needs through induction, ongoing training, and supervision. Arrangements were in place to record people’s consent to their care and support. Staff were aware of legal requirements where people lacked capacity to consent. Staff advised and supported people to eat and drink healthily and worked with other healthcare services when needed.

People's feedback on the service they received was all good. One person's comment included, "If you were to think about what the perfect care would look like, the sort of care you wish you could provide for your loved ones, that's exactly what you get from Home Instead." People appreciated that they were supported by teams of care workers who were prepared and briefed thoroughly and encouraged to build caring relationships with people they supported. Staff were matched with individual people and introduced to them before they started to work with them, which helped them establish relationships quickly. Staff supported people to work towards their goals and aspirations. People had support when they needed it, and were supported to be as independent as possible. The service responded quickly to requests for additional support. Staff were encouraged to care for people as they would their own family. People were able to influence the care and support they received, and staff put people’s needs and preferences at the centre of the service. The service was aware of issues that could cause anxiety, such as financial abuse and late calls, and had put exceptional processes in place to manage these.

Staff provided care and support that was individual to the person, reflected their preferences and met their needs. Care and support were based on detailed plans which were reviewed regularly.

There was an open and empowering culture. The registered manager applied effective management systems which combined informal and formal methods of communicating with staff. The registered manager was available and approachable. Systems were in place to monitor and improve the quality of service provided.