Human Support Group Limited - Ulverston is a care at home service that provides care and support for people who live in their own homes. The office is located in the centre of the town of Ulverston and provides services in and around the local area. Not everyone using the service receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of this inspection 42 people were receiving the regulated activity.

At our last inspection in October 2015 we rated the service as good. At this inspection we found some distinctive characteristics of 'outstanding' evident. This was echoed by the consistent and very positive comments in the feedback we received from people who used the service. We saw since our last inspection the service had continued to make positive developments in all of the domains that we rated.

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.

We found the service to be exceptional in helping people to express their views. A diverse approach was used especially in supporting social inclusion and promoting people’s rights. A service user led forum and a regular newsletter had been established by the service. The staff assisted people to attend meetings that were led by people who used the service. One of the initial purposes of the forum was to enable people to have a voice in shaping the services they received. It also enabled access social activities within the community and prevented people from being disadvantaged or feeling socially isolated.

The individualised approach to staff training was particularly effective in ensuring staff had received a variety of training to enable them to support and care for people with varying and specific needs. Staff were also supported through staff meetings, supervision and appraisals. The provider and registered manager regularly gave staff recognition of their hard work using different rewards schemes they had implemented. Staff had been supported into extending their roles as champions in areas of their own interests. This increased staff knowledge and in turn ensured people experienced good outcomes.

People were effectively supported and received care from a regular team of staff who they knew well and people told us were very professional and punctual. Everyone we spoke with made very positive comments about the staff that supported them. People told us this was an excellent and outstanding service and said they would definitely recommend it.

The systems in place to organise the delivery of care were very efficient and managed by a designated coordinator. The frequency and duration of visits provided ranged depending on people's individual needs. There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff available to meet people’s needs and to allow flexibility in the service should people make a request to alter their visit times. People could decide who provided their care and support and when.

When employing fit and proper persons the recruitment procedures had included all of the necessary checks of suitability. The people who used the service had been involved in developing the recruitment process used by the provider.

There was a comprehensive safety management system in place for carrying out risk assessments to ensure hazards to people's safety had been identified and were appropriately managed. The service had contributed to the development of best practise and good leadership with other agencies to assess and minimise risks.

All the people we

This inspection took place on the 12 & 13 October 2015 and was announced.

Human Support Group provides care and support for people who live in their own homes. The office is located in Ulverston and provides services in and around the local area.

The registered manager of the service had responsibility for two other Human Support Group offices in Cumbria, based at Whitehaven and in Carlisle. 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.

Human Support Group had taken over the agency approximately 8 months ago and had introduced new systems to improve the running of the service. People receiving a service told us that they had been pleased with the changes and felt that things were running smoothly.

The service had sufficient appropriately recruited staff available to support people. Each office had a clear management structure to ensure the service was run in the best way to meet people’s needs.

The service managed medicines appropriately.

Staff said that they felt better supported by Human Support Group. All staff received regular supervision and appraisal. There was a clear structure in place to achieve this. As part of their recruitment process the service carried out appropriate background checks on new staff.

The service demonstrated that they were aware of people’s capacity and documented this in people’s written records of care.

People told us that staff were caring and treated them with dignity and respect. We saw that people’s opinions were welcomed and valued by the organisation.

Care plans were written in a straightforward manner and based on thorough assessments. They contained sufficient information to enable people to be supported correctly.

There was a clear management structure in the service. The registered manager had a deputy in place as well as senior carers who oversaw the running of the service when the manager was not present. The registered manager reported to an area manager who visited the service monthly and was in regular telephone contact.

There was a quality assurance system in place at the service. The outcomes of audits were analysed by the registered manager of the service and by the organisation’s head office and these were used to improve the way the service was run.