The inspection took place on 21 and 22 July 2016 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection because it is small and the registered manager was often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in. At our last inspection on the 11 February 2014 the provider was compliant with the regulations inspected.

Langstone Community Support Services is registered to provide personal care services to adults in their own homes or a supported living environment. People the service supported had a range of needs including physical disability and learning disability. On the day of the inspection, 30 people were receiving support. 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.

People told us they felt safe within the service. We found that staff knew what appropriate action to take where they felt people were at risk of harm. Where people were supported with their medicines this was being managed in a way that people had their medicines as they were prescribed.

Care staff received support to ensure they had the skills and knowledge to meet people’s needs. The provider ensured the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) were adhered to and staff received the appropriate training to ensure people’s human rights were not restricted.

People received the support they expected and were able to make decisions based on the support they received. Where there were changes in the support people received the provider was able to respond appropriately. People were able to raise concerns they had by way of the provider’s complaints process.

We found that the provider had the appropriate assessments and support plans in place which people were involved in. People’s dignity, privacy and independence was respected and they were supported by care staff who were caring.

We found that people were able to share their views on the service by way of completing a questionnaire.

We found that the registered manager or provider was not carrying out quality assurance audits and checks.

Notifiable events were not being reported to us as is required within the law.

Langstone Community Support Services was providing a service to 140 people at the time of our inspection. Of these 30 people were being supported with personal care tasks. An expert by experience carried out telephone interviews with six people who used the service, and seven relatives. We visited the office and spoke with four care workers, and the registered manager who supported us with the inspection of this agency.

The people we spoke with confirmed their consent was obtained before staff provided any care and support. Relatives we spoke with also confirmed this. One person we spoke with said, “A care worker went through my care plan with me and I have agreed to this”.

People made positive comments about the support they received. One person we spoke with said, “They respect me and get me anything I want”. Another person told us, “The carers are absolutely brilliant, I am very happy with the service”.

We found that systems were in place to support people to have their medication when they needed it.

We found that procedures were in place to ensure only suitable care workers were recruited.

There was a complaints procedure in place to enable people to share their concerns.

We carried out telephone interviews with eight people, one relative, and three staff. We also had an opportunity to speak with two team leaders and two support workers who were at the office at the time of our inspection. The manager was also available and supported us with the inspection of this agency.

All of the people we spoke with told us they were satisfied with the service they received. One person said,”I think the staff are very good, and the service is brilliant. The staff are always respectful in the way they speak to me and support me, I am very happy with everything”. Another person told us, “The service is excellent, I would be lost without them, I am happy with everything”.

People spoken with and their representatives were able to confirm that they knew what their plan of care said and confirmed they had been involved in developing this. This ensures they receive support is a way they prefer.

We found that staff were clear about the action to take should they become aware of an allegation of abuse. This ensures people are safeguarded from harm.

Staff spoken with told us they felt supported by the management team. They confirmed they have regular training opportunities. This ensures staff are able to deliver care to an appropriate standard.

We found that systems were in place for assessing and monitoring the quality of service provided.