The inspection took place on 31 May 2017 and was unannounced.

The service provides personal care to people living either in their own home or the home of a family member. At the time of the inspection, approximately 100 people used the service and a manager was in post. The manager had recently applied to become the 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People told us they felt safe around care staff who understood how to keep people safe. Care staff had received training and understood how to share their concerns. Care staff understood the risks to their health that some people lived with. They also understood how people needed support with their medicines. The manager also undertook their own checks to ensure people received the support they needed with their medicines.

People felt confident that care staff understood how to support them. Care staff received regular training and supervision so that they received the guidance they needed to support people. People’s consent was appropriately obtained by staff. Staff understood what is meant to explain how they supporting people and to respect a person’s decision if they declined support.

People received care from care staff who they knew and felt understood their care needs. People saw the same care staff regularly which enabled care staff to develop an understanding of people’s needs. People were offered choices in the meals care staff prepared for them. Care staff also understood the need to obtain further help if they became concerned for a person’s health.

People understood how to make a complaint. They understood they could speak to care staff or the administrative staff from the office. There was a system in place for responding to complaints and people felt assured that their complaint would be responded to.

People’s care and the quality of their care was being monitored. People’s experience of care was also being checked so that it met people’s day to day needs. Systems were being improved so that it met the registered provider’s expectations for how care should be delivered at the service.