Human Support Group is a domiciliary care service that provides care and support to adults of all ages in their own homes. The service provides help with people’s personal care needs in Plymouth and surrounding areas. Some of the people supported received ongoing care and support; others only received the service short term, when they had rehabilitation needs. This was called the re-ablement service and people only received support from it until they become independent again. At the time of the inspection 264 people were receiving support with personal care needs.

A registered manager was employed to manage the service locally. 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 staff were separated into six teams which were each managed by a co-ordinator. There was a team of office staff who also supported the registered manager in the running of the service.

People told us they felt safe using the service. Comments included, “I feel very safe indeed. They certainly know what they are doing.” Staff had received training in how to recognise and report abuse and were confident any allegations would be taken seriously and investigated to help ensure people were protected.

People received support from staff who knew them well, and had the knowledge and skills to meet their needs. People and their relatives spoke highly of the staff and the support provided. Comments included, “I do consider them to be skilled and conscientious.”

People had detailed care plans in place which provided guidance for staff about how people liked their care provided. A staff member told us, “Care plans are detailed. They tell us what we need to do. You never feel lost as to what you should be doing.” People told us staff always respected the way they liked things done and respected their home and belongings.

There was a positive culture within the service. The registered manager had clear visions, values and enthusiasm about how they wished the service to be provided and these values were shared by the whole staff team. The registered manager said part of the recruitment process was to ensure any new staff would fit in and understand the values of the service. Staff members reflected the ethos of the service in the way they worked. People described the staff as being particularly caring and attentive to their needs. On person told us, “They’re carers in the true sense of the word.”

The registered manager and staff had a clear understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and how

to make sure people who did not have the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves had their legal rights protected. No-one receiving support was assessed as lacking capacity but staff members were aware of when someone may need to receive a mental capacity assessment and who to report this to.

There was a management structure in the service which provided clear lines of responsibility and accountability. A registered manager was in post who had overall responsibility for the service. They were supported by other senior staff who had designated management responsibilities. People told us they knew who to speak to in the office and had confidence in the management and staff team.

Information was used to aid learning and drive improvement across the service. The manager and staff monitored the quality of the service by regularly undertaking a range of regular audits and speaking with people to ensure they were happy with the service they received. People and their relatives told us the management team were approachable and included them in discussions about their care and the running of the service.