This inspection was carried out on the 29 and 30 September 2016 and was announced.

Inchwater Home Care is a domiciliary care agency registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of this inspection the agency was providing a service to five people. Visits were a minimum of one hour and the frequency of visits varied depending on people's individual needs.

The service had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who is 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.

People, their relatives and other stakeholders all told us that Inchwater Home Care provided an excellent service. The registered manager and the provider were committed to providing high quality, person-centred care. Staff working in the provider’s office also provided hands on care and everyone shared this vision of a bespoke service with people at its heart.

Staff were always on time, and there were no missed calls to people. People told us staff always stayed over their allotted time if they needed to and they never felt rushed. Staff were exceptionally kind and caring and went above and beyond to ensure people received the care they needed. Staff treated people with respect and dignity at all times. Staff referred to people by their chosen names, and for one person, ‘this meant everything.’ People only received care from staff they had met before and were comfortable with. People and their relatives told us that having consistent staff was reassuring and ensured they were able to build strong relationships with them.

Staff used their knowledge of people to help them feel more confident when eating and drinking. People told us they were happier due to staff’s positive interactions and this meant they ate and drank more. When people were losing weight staff used creative means to monitor what they were eating to ensure they received the nutrition they needed and people put on weight as a result.

People received the support they needed to stay as healthy as possible. Staff always stayed with people if they were unwell, and reacted quickly if people’s health was deteriorating. One person told us that staff’s reaction to them being ill was the reason they felt comfortable staying in their own home. Staff sought advice from other healthcare professionals when needed, and encouraged people to maintain or increase their mobility and independence as a result.

Staff researched different aids and adaptions to enable people to do things for themselves. Staff were proactive in managing the risks involved in people’s care. One person needed more support with their mobility and wanted to continue to be able to have a bath. Staff supported them to develop a new morning routine, involving different aids and they were able to continue having a bath. They told us this had a positive impact on their life.

The registered manager and the provider met with people before staff started working with them. People were actively involved in writing their care plans and these were reviewed regularly. People told us they were continually updating and changing their support as they felt confident discussing their care with staff. Records confirmed that this was the case.

Staff received the training they needed to do an outstanding job. The provider had a doctorate in education and told us they used the skills they had learnt whilst studying to make training as engaging and informative as impossible. External professionals told us that the dementia training staff received was ‘exemplary’. The provider gave the same training to external groups in the local community to raise awareness of dementia. Staff told us they were extremely well supported by the registered manager and had r

We spoke with people who used the service, their relatives, the registered manager and three care staff. People told us they were satisfied with the care being provided. One person told us, "I'm very pleased with the service." They said they were encouraged to express their views and make or participate in making decisions relating to their care and treatment.

We found that individual personalised care plans were in place to make sure people were receiving the care they needed. People using the service said that the staff were reliable, arrived on time and stayed the full duration of the call.

Staff recruitment records showed that new staff had been checked to make sure they were suitable to work with vulnerable people. We found that people were protected and safe from abuse. Systems were in place to monitor the service that people received to ensure that the service was satisfactory and safe.