Inspection site visit activity started on 2 November and ended on 24 December 2018. It included speaking to people who used the service, their relatives and care staff. We visited the office location on 2 and 5 November to see the manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures. At the time of the inspection 120 people were using the service.

People we spoke with told us they felt safe. The service had systems and processes in place to help protect people from abuse and encourage people to raise any concerns they had.

Risks to people were managed so they were able to do the things they wanted and receive the support they wanted in as safe a way as possible.

People told us the care workers were punctual and they did not feel rushed when they were being supported. Care workers we spoke with told us their rotas were manageable.

Care workers were trained to support people safely with medicines and regular audits of records relating to people’s medicines were done to quickly identify any issues.

People told us care workers wore appropriate protective equipment like disposable gloves and aprons when they were supported. Care workers were trained in infection control techniques.

Care workers received training in a variety of subjects and they told us this had given them the skills to support people safely. Care worker’s training was updated regularly in line with national guidelines.

The service worked with other healthcare providers such as district nurses and GPs and care commissioners like the local authority to make sure people were receiving appropriate care.

Records showed people and their relatives had been involved in planning and reviewing the support they received.

Consent was sought before any support was given to them. A form was being introduced into people’s care plans to record their capacity for making specific decisions.

People told us they usually had the same team of care workers visiting them and they knew each other well. People told us they were treated with kindness and respect.

People and their relatives told us their independence was encouraged and the support they received enabled them to remain independent.

Records showed people had been involved in planning and reviewing their care. People we spoke with confirmed this.

The service had a complaints policy in place and procedures to investigate and identify any improvements to the service arising from the complaint.

The management team encouraged an open culture where people felt able to speak up and raise any issues or suggestions for improvement.

A range of quality checks and audits were in place to give the management team oversight of the service and identify where it could be improved.

The service worked well with other organisations to ensure people received the support they needed.