Home Care (Mellor)'s services are aimed at helping the elderly, disabled, people with learning difficulties, terminally ill, families and those convalescing. The office is situated on the outskirts of Blackburn with good rail and bus routes. There is a well equipped office with access for the disabled and car park. The service is available on a 24 hour call out system for emergency assistance. There are facilities for staff to be trained and supervised. On the day of our inspection there were 76 people using the service.

At the last inspection this service was rated Good. This was an announced inspection which took place on the 11 and 12 May 2017. We gave the service 48 hours notice of our inspection to make sure people were in the office and arrangements could be made to visit people in their own homes with their consent. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

People who used the service told us they felt safe when being supported by staff members at Homecare (Mellor). Staff had been trained in safeguarding adults and knew their responsibilities to report any concerns. There was also a whistle-blowing policy in place to protect staff who reported poor practice.

Risk assessments such as, moving and handling, nutrition and medication were in place to keep people safe whilst staff members were providing support. These were reviewed on a regular basis to ensure they remained relevant and up to date.

Records showed that robust recruitment processes were followed by the service when employing new members of staff. We saw references and identity checks were carried out as well as Disclosure and Barring Service checks.

Staff were trained in medicines administration and supported people to take their medicines if it was a part of their care package. Spot checks and competency checks were also undertaken by the management to ensure staff remained knowledgeable about medicines administration.

Staff received an induction and were supported when they commenced employment to become competent to work with vulnerable people. Staff were well trained and regularly supervised to feel confident within their roles. Staff were also encouraged to take further training including National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ’s) or Diploma’s. Records we looked at showed and all staff members we spoke with confirmed they received regular supervisions and appraisals.

All the people who used the service had been given a copy of the complaints policy and staff knew how to respond to any complaints they may receive. Records we looked at showed there had not been any concerns or complaints raised since our last inspection.

We observed a good rapport between people who used the service and staff. We saw that staff appeared to know people well and understand their needs. All the people we spoke with were appreciative of the efforts staff made and thought their care was good.

Care plans we looked at were person centred and contained detailed information that was easy for staff to follow to ensure people’s support needs were met. We saw these were reviewed on a regular basis with the person and their relatives (if they wished).

Management conducted audits to ensure the service was performing well and to improve the quality of the service. These were adequately robust to identify any areas of concerns and to make the required improvements.

Policies and procedures were in place to guide staff in their roles. These were accessible to all staff and we saw they had been reviewed on an annual basis to ensure they remained relevant and appropriate.

The office was suitable for providing a domiciliary care service and was staffed during office hours. There was an on call service for people to contact out of normal working hours. All the people we spoke to knew how to contact the office or the on call if they needed to.

All the people we spoke with who used the service, and staff members told us they felt the management team were approachable and s

The service is registered to provide personal care for people who are elderly, are recovering from illness, have dementia, are physically disabled or are terminally ill. The service is provided in people’s homes.

We last inspected this service in December 2014 when the service met all the standards we inspected. This unannounced inspection took place on the 10 and 11 March 2015.

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 a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The Care Quality Commission sent out 49 surveys to people who used the service and their families. 21 People who used the service returned the completed forms and 3 family members responded. Some of the lower scores reflected an answer of not known. The scores generally were around the national average or above. We used the surveys to form some of our questions to people who used the service.

Staff were aware of and had been trained in safeguarding procedures to help protect the health and welfare of people who used the service. All the people who used the service said they felt safe. Staff were recruited using current guidelines to help minimise the risk of abuse to people who used the service.

People who used the service had mental capacity. Staff had been trained in the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and should be aware of when a person needed to have a deprivation of liberty safeguard hearing to protect their rights.

Staff had access to a wide range of training and supervised on a regular basis, including spot checks, to ensure they were performing well. People were assisted by trained staff if they required their medicines to be administered for them.

There was a modern office with all the necessary equipment to provide a functional service for people who used the service and staff.

People who used the service helped develop their plans of care to ensure their wishes were taken into account. Plans of care were updated regularly.

Risk assessments were conducted to help keep people who used the service and staff safe.

The registered manager updated policies and procedures and conducted audits to help ensure the service maintained standards.

People who used the service told us, "I am very happy with the care and service I get from Home Care. The staff I get are all very nice", "We are happy with the service we get. Staff are very reliable, trustworthy, brilliant and I think they are well trained" and "Overall I am very happy with the service. Staff always have a smile on their face". People who used the service were satisfied with the care and staff who looked after them.

Plans of care had been developed with people who used the service to ensure their wishes were taken into account.

People were supported to take a nutritious diet.

The provider had a good relationship with other organisations which meant people received external support if they needed it.

Records we observed were up to date and stored securely. This should ensure people's personal records remained confidential.

We looked at three plans of care at the office and two plans of care in peoples homes (with their permission). We spoke with two people who told us, "I agree to the care they give me and it’s what I want" and "Staff do the things I want them to do and we discuss my problems. I agree to what they do for me. My daughter is fully informed and if I need her advice she will tell me what she thinks. We discuss any new ideas and agree to them if we think they will help". People had given their consent to care and treatment to ensure their wishes were taken into account.

Plans of care contained sufficient detail for staff to deliver effective care. The care agency were updating plans to include more specific details of a persons' choices to give a more personal approach.

The office was accessible for people who used the service and the care agency operated an 'on call' system to ensure they could be contacted in an emergency.

People who used the service told us, "I am happy with the agency. They look after me very well" and "I am very happy using the service. I have no complaints". People who used the service said they were satisfied with the care agency.

People who used the service told us they were satisfied they could raise a concern should they have one. There was an accessible complaints procedure with the addresses and contact numbers of organisations such as the Care Quality Commission should people wish to take a complaint further.

People said staff were reliable and attended to their needs at the times they required. Care was given privately to ensure each person retained their dignity.

People were aware of their plans of care and had helped develop them to their satisfaction. Care plans were reviewed on a regular basis to help keep health and care needs up to date.

People felt safe and that staff were aware to maintain the security of their premises which helped protect them from possible harm.

People who used the service and their family members were complimentary about the way they were looked after by the same staff and had formed positive relationships. They described staff as friends.

The systems used to arrange and check work details provided an efficient and secure service.