We undertook this announced site inspection of Human Support Group – West Leeds on 2, 11 and 17 May 2018. This inspection was prompted by information shared with CQC about the potential concerns around the management of people's care needs. We reviewed those risks.

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It provides a service to older adults. Not everyone using Human Support Group West Leeds 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 consider any wider social care provided.

Human Support Group West Leeds is registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide personal care to people in their own homes.

At the time of our inspection, 142 people were supported with their personal care needs by the service. 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.

At our last inspection of the service on 13, 15 and 23 June 2017 we found staff were not always supported in their roles and there were not effective systems in place to monitor support and supervision with staff members. At this inspection we found the provider had undertaken improvements to the quality of care people received. However, we found concerns in other areas.

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.

Staff had not always supported people safely with their medicines if required. Records of medicines administration had not always been documented and medicines care records did not always direct staff on how people liked to take their medicines.

Mostly people told us they felt safe. Staff understood how to recognise and report signs of abuse or mistreatment. Staff had received training on how to recognise the various forms of abuse, which was regularly updated and refreshed. The provider carried out risk assessments to identify any risks to people using the service and to the staff supporting them. There was a lone working policy, which staff knew about. Safe recruitment processes were completed.

The provider had recognised the need to recruit sufficient numbers of staff to keep people safe. The staff team had recently had lots of changes both with caring staff, office staff and management. This had affected some people with their continuity of care. The rota recorded details of people's visit times and which staff would provide the visit. The registered manager or senior staff were on call outside of office hours and had access to the rota, telephone numbers of people using the service and staff with them.

Staff followed good infection control practice. Staff knew the reporting process for any accidents or incidents. Records showed that the provider had taken appropriate action where necessary, and made changes to reduce the risk of a re-occurrence of an incident. The service had suitable processes to assess people's needs and choices, the care lead went out to assess people prior to a package of care commencing to check the service could meet the person's needs.

Staff had appropriate skills, knowledge, and experience to deliver effective care and support. All new staff completed the Care Certificate. The Care Certificate is an identified set of national standards that health and socia

This was an announced inspection that took place on 13, 15 and 23 June 2017. On 13 June 2017 we visited the central office of the service. On 13, 15 and 23 June 2017 we made phone calls to people who used the service and staff and home visits to people to obtain their feedback on the care that was provided. The provider was given 24 hours’ notice of the inspection because they provide domiciliary care and we needed to be sure someone would be in the office to facilitate the inspection.

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.

Staff had not always received supervision in line with the provider’s policy. The registered manager was aware of the issue and had taken action to change the process to ensure staff would be supervised.

People received care from staff who were kind and caring and who treated people with dignity and respect. The staff were well trained and the provider had systems in place to protect people from the risk of abuse. There were enough staff to meet people's needs.

People received their medicines when they needed them and staff asked them for their consent before providing them with care. The staff acted within the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 when providing care to people who were unable to consent to it themselves.

People's care needs had been assessed and were being met. However, staff did not always provide care at people's preferred times. Information was in place to guide staff on what care people needed to provide to meet some someone’s specific needs.

The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of service being provided. Audits had been conducted and had identified improvements that were required to the service and these were being addressed. The service actively sought people’s feedback on the service through phone calls, spot checks and surveys.

Staff were happy working for the provider and felt supported in their role. The provider had promoted an open culture where both staff and people using the service could raise concerns without any hesitation. People knew how to complain and any complaints were investigated and responded to.

We found one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full report.