This inspection took place on 01 and 03 March 2017 and was announced. Prospect Tree Heath Care (Midlands) Ltd provides personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of the inspection the service was providing the regulatory activity of personal care to 113 people living in their own homes. At the last inspection in March 2014 we found the provider was meeting all of the requirements of the regulations we reviewed.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of the inspection. 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People told us they felt safe. Staff knew how to identify any signs of possible abuse and knew how to report any concerns. People were supported by staff to manage risks to protect them from avoidable harm. People received support from a reliable, consistent staff team. People were protected from the risk of being supported by unsuitable staff by safe recruitment practices. People received their medicines as prescribed and there were systems in place to monitor the safe administration of medicines.

People told us staff had the skills and knowledge required to meet their care and support needs. Staff received training relevant to their role and were supported by senior staff to develop their knowledge. People were asked for their consent before staff provided care and were given time to make decisions which were respected by staff. Staff were aware of people’s dietary and nutritional needs which meant people were offered food that they enjoyed and which benefited their health.

People were supported to access healthcare services when required and the staff team were proactive in identifying the need for specialist healthcare support.

People told us staff were friendly and kind. People made their own decisions about daily life with support from staff when required. People received care which respected their privacy and staff supported people to maintain their independence.

People and relatives were involved in the assessment, planning and review of their care. Staff were aware of people’s individual needs and preferences and responded quickly to changes in people’s needs. People knew who to contact if they were dissatisfied about their care and support and there was a system in place to monitor and respond to complaints.

People told us they were happy with the service provided by Prospect Tree. People, relatives and staff were all given opportunities to give feedback about the service and this helped them feel valued. People and staff expressed positive views about the registered manager and senior staff and told us someone was always available to respond to any queries or concerns. Staff told us they felt supported by the registered manager and provider which helped them provide a good standard of care. There were systems in place to monitor the quality of care people received and these were used to identify any shortfalls in the care people received and drive improvement.