Marygold Care UK is a domiciliary care agency that is registered to provide personal care to adults living in their own homes. At the time of this inspection 40 older people were supported by the agency.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

People told us they felt safe with the support they received from staff.

There were arrangements in place to help safeguard people from the risk of abuse.

There were safe recruitment procedures in place to help protect people from the risks of being cared for by staff assessed to be unfit or unsuitable.

Staff had received training in relevant areas of their work. This training enabled staff to support people effectively.

Staff understood their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

People were involved in making decisions about their care and support and their consent was sought and documented. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice

People were supported to eat and drink in a safe manner. Their support plans included an assessment of their nutrition and hydration needs.

People were treated with dignity and respect. They told us staff knocked on their doors before they could enter their homes. Staff understood the need to protect people’s privacy and dignity.

The service encouraged people to raise any concerns they had and responded to them in a timely manner.

The provider had systems in place to continually monitor the quality of the service and people were asked for their opinions and action plans were developed where required to address areas for improvements.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

This inspection took place on 3 December 2015 and was announced. We told the provider one day before our visit that we would be coming. Marygold Care provides domiciliary care and support to three people living in their own homes in Harrow and surrounding area.

The service had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 200 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.’ The registered manager was on duty on the day of our inspection and we also met with one of the directors, who was also the owner of the domiciliary care agency.

People told us they felt safe with the support they received from staff. There were arrangements in place to help safeguard people from the risk of abuse. The provider had appropriate policies and procedures in place to inform people who used the service and staff how to report potential or suspected abuse. Staff understood what constituted abuse and were aware of the steps to take to protect people.

People had risk assessments and risk management plans to reduce the likelihood of harm. The provider ensured there were safe recruitment procedures in place to help protect people from the risks of being cared for by staff assessed to be unfit or unsuitable.

Staff told us and we saw from their records that they had received training in relevant areas of their work. This training enabled staff to support people effectively.

Staff understood their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People told us and we saw from their records they were involved in making decisions about their care and support and their consent was sought and documented.

People were supported to eat and drink in a safe manner. Their support plans included an assessment of their nutrition and hydration needs. People told us they chose what they ate and staff supported them with meals.

People told us they were treated with dignity and respect. Staff understood the need to protect people’s privacy and dignity. People told us staff knocked on their doors before they could enter their homes.

The service encouraged people to raise any concerns they had and responded to them in a timely manner.

Staff gave positive feedback about the management of the service. The registered manager was approachable and fully engaged with providing good quality care for people who used the service. They encouraged a positive and open culture by being supportive to staff and by making themselves approachable with a clear sense of direction for the service.

The provider had systems in place to continually monitor the quality of the service and people were asked for their opinions and action plans were developed where required to address areas for improvements.