Partners in Care (South West) Limited is a domiciliary care service providing personal care services to people in their own homes in the Exeter, Topsham, Woodbury, Clyst St Mary and other surrounding areas. At the time of this inspection they provided a service to 34 people.

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

Why the service is rated Good

People told us they felt safe. Comments included “I don’t know what I would do without them” and “All the care workers have very special qualities. I trust them.” People told us they received a consistent service from a small team of care workers they knew and trusted. A person told us “We get the same ones a lot. We are happy with (care worker’s name). She knows what she has to do.” Risks to people’s health and safety were well managed. Before people began receiving a service an assessment was carried out to assess any risks to the person using the service and to the staff supporting them. Where people needed assistance with medicines, staff had received training and knew how to support people safely.

Staff had the skills and knowledge to meet people’s needs effectively. For example, a person we visited used equipment including an overhead hoist and wheelchair to move safely. They told us, “I have complete confidence the carers know how to use the hoist safely.” Staff received training on a range of topics relevant to the needs of the people who used the service. Staff were well supervised and told us they were well supported. People’s health needs were monitored and prompt action was taken to address any concerns or changes. The service had good links with local health and social care professionals and supported people to seek advice and treatment promptly when necessary.

The service was caring. People were supported by small teams of staff who knew them well and understood their needs. We heard many examples of praise for care and kindness of the staff. Comments from people included, “The girls just treat you as family,” and “They are wonderful. You cannot fault them. I have never had so much help from carers. They are so lovely.”

People continued to receive a responsive service. People’s needs were assessed and reviewed regularly. A care plan was drawn up with each person before the service started. The care plans contained easy to read and clear information about each task the person wanted support with. The care plans explained how to support and encourage people to remain independent. People were confident they could raise any complaints or concerns with the provider and these would be dealt with promptly and satisfactorily.

The service continued to be well-led. The registered manager was praised for their caring manner and open and approachable management style. A care worker told us they felt well supported, and said, “They have an open door policy. We can just come in and speak to them.” There were systems in place to regularly monitor the service and make improvements where necessary, including audits, checks, and satisfaction surveys. Where they identified areas for improvement these were acted upon. A person told us the service was very well run, and praised the management team and all the staff. They said “I am very proud of these people. They are always bright, cheerful, well presented. Very kind people. I don’t know how they do the job.”

Further information is in the detailed findings below

We spoke with three people on the telephone and visited one person at their home and they told us that they were involved in their care. One person told us that they “asked what help my husband needed and listened to what we said.”

People who received care and support who told us they were happy with the care they received. We were told that a consistent team of people visit. One person said things “are going along nicely, they are very helpful, my husband is very pleased with things, he is very cheerful when they come.” This person’s husband told us that it was “perfect”.

Safeguarding Adults was one of the organisations mandatory training requirements and is updated annually. Staff we spoke with told us the signs they would notice that could suggest possible abuse and they were aware of what to do if they suspected abuse.

Care staff we spoke with told us that they had regular supervision usually on a twelve week basis, an annual appraisal and regular training. They told us that they can contact the office anytime if they needed any additional support or concerns.

The organisation assessed and monitored the quality of the service provided through reviews of client care usually after four weeks and at least annually, spot checks and an annual satisfaction survey. People we spoke with said that the organisation “check from time to time how things are going.” Another person told us that “they undertake a review to see how things are going.”

We undertook an announced inspection of Partners in Care (South West) Ltd on 15 and 16 June 2015. We told the provider two days before our visit we would be coming to ensure the information we needed would be available. Partners in Care (South West) Ltd provides personal care services to people in their own homes in the local area, which covers parts of Exeter, Topsham, Woodbury, Clyst St Mary and other surrounding villages . At the time of our inspection approximately 52 people were receiving a personal care service. At our last inspection in October 2013 the service was meeting the regulations inspected.

People were kept safe and free from harm. There were appropriate numbers of staff employed to meet people’s needs and provide a flexible service. Staff were usually able to accommodate last minute changes to appointments as requested by the person who used the service or their relatives.

Staff received regular training and were knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities. They had the skills, knowledge and experience required to support people with their care and support needs.

Staff knew the people they were supporting and provided a personalised service. Care plans were in place detailing how people wished to be supported and people were involved in making decisions about their care. People told us they liked the staff and looked forward to the staff coming to their homes. Comments included “ I am very happy with Partners in Care. The girls are willing to do whatever I require. They look after me well” and “They all say hello and make me a cup of tea without me needing to ask. They are not too busy to have a chat and are very flexible.”

People were supported to eat and drink if their needs required assistance. Staff supported people to attend healthcare appointments and liaised with their GP and other healthcare professionals as required to meet people’s needs. For example, this included ensuring people were allocated enough time to meet their needs and in one instance staff had discussed safety issues with social services to ensure the person could manage at home.

The service has 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The registered manager was accessible and approachable. Staff, people who used the service and relatives felt able to speak with the manager and provided feedback on the service. There were good systems in place to regularly monitor the quality of the service provided. For example, they undertook regular spot checks to review the quality of the service provided.