We carried out an announced inspection of My Homecare Cheshire on 11 January 2019. This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community.

Not everyone using My Homecare Cheshire receives a regulated activity; the Care Quality Commission (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 take into account any wider social care provided.

This was the first CQC inspection of the service, which had registered with the CQC in December 2017. At the time of our inspection, the service supported 44 people. The service had a registered manager. 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 this inspection we found the service was meeting all the Regulations of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. However, we have made a recommendation about the safe management of medicines.

Staff received training in medicines administration and their competency was assessed before they were allowed to support people with their medicines. Medicines administration records (MARs) were checked regularly to ensure they had been completed correctly and people had received their prescribed medicines. However, no separate guidance was available for staff when people required medicines ‘as required’. We have asked for this to be put in place.

There were systems in place to help safeguard people from abuse. The registered manager and staff understood their role and responsibilities to keep people safe from harm. Recruitment checks had been carried out on all staff to ensure they were suitable to support vulnerable people. There were sufficient staff employed to provide support to people at the times they wished.

Risk assessments, both environmental and personal had been completed and were reviewed regularly, to minimise risks to staff and people who used the service.

All new staff received an induction and a period of supervised practise to familiarise them with their role. Staff had undertaken a variety of training to help them carry out their job effectively. They received regular supervision which provided them with an opportunity to voice any concerns and plan their professional development. The management team carried out unannounced ‘spot checks’ to ensure staff were supporting people safely and in the way they wished.

People's needs were assessed before using the service and on an ongoing basis if their circumstances changed. Care plans were person centred and provided staff with guidance on how people wanted to be supported.

People who used the service and relatives were complimentary about the staff and told us they were caring and helpful.

The registered manager showed good leadership skills and staff told us everyone worked well together as a team. Systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service. These included audits of care and medicines records and feedback received from people who used the service/relatives during care reviews and ‘spot checks’.