We undertook an announced inspection on 20 June 2017. At our last inspection in March 2015 we found the service was good in safe, effective, responsive and well-led questions, and outstanding in the caring question.

We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice of our intention to undertake an inspection. This was because the organisation provides a domiciliary care service to people in their homes; we needed to be sure that someone would be available at the office.

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. They have a strong focus on providing tailored care to older and younger adults some of whom were living with a dementia, who may also be living with other conditions. At this inspection we found 51 people were receiving support with personal care.

There was a registered manager for this service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered providers and registered managers 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.

People we spoke with all told us they were receiving quality care from staff that went over and above what they needed to on a regular basis. Everyone we spoke with said they would recommend the service. People also told us all staff were caring, knowledgeable and compassionate, and they spoke with a sense of fondness when describing staff. People and staff had formed caring relationships with each other. Relatives informed us the staff showed a high level of understanding towards their family members. People told us the support they received improved their well-being and enabled them to live the way they chose to in their own home. Staff showed a sense of ownership for the quality of care provided.

The management team focussed on feedback from people, their relatives and staff as an integral part of their quality assurance system. This was achieved through annual surveys, meetings with people, complaints, and reviews. We saw action was taken and improvements were made to improve the quality of service provided which impacted positively on people’s lives. The management team monitored and audited the quality of care provided, and used this information to for continuous improvement. People, their relatives and staff spoke highly of the management team. Staff told us effective leadership had a positive impact on staff morale. The management team maintained links with the community to share knowledge and keep their practice updated.

People we spoke with told us they were confident with the staff who supported them. Staff we spoke with recognised the different types of abuse and there were systems in place to guide them in reporting any concerns. Staff were knowledgeable about how to manage people’s individual risks. People were supported to receive their medicines by trained staff who knew the risks associated with them.

People benefited from staff who had up to date knowledge and training. Staff told us they shared best practice to ensure they had the skills to meet people’s needs. Staff always ensured people gave their consent to the support they received. People we spoke with said they were supported to make their own decisions and felt listened to by staff. Staff had clear guidance about what support people needed with decisions and who needed to be involved. People were supported to eat and drink well when this was part of their identified needs. People and their relatives told us staff supported them to access health professionals when they needed to. The management team had links with services available in the community. People told us there was good communication between themselves, staff and health and welfare professionals.

People we spoke with and their relatives told us their support

This inspection took place on 6 March 2015. The provider was given two days’ notice of our inspection. This was to arrange for staff and people to be available to talk with us about the service.

Home Instead Senior Care, Redditch and Bromsgrove is a domiciliary agency which provides personal support to people in their own homes.

The agency has 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.

This was the first inspection of the agency since it registered with us in 2013.

People and their relatives told us they felt very safe using the service. They had consistent care workers who arrived on time and stayed the agreed length of time, sometimes longer.

Care workers understood how to protect people they supported from abuse. People and their relatives thought staff were very caring, thoughtful and responsive to people’s needs. They told us staff often went over and above their expected duties.

Staff received excellent training and support to enable them to deliver effective care to people. People told us staff had the right skills and experience to provide them with care and support.

Management and staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA), and supported people in line with these principles.

The provider and manager were dedicated to providing high quality care to people. Staff and people found them open, approachable, and responsive. Quality of care was assured through checks on records, and regular, productive communication with people and staff.