The inspection took place on 25 and 30 August 2017 and was announced. This was the first inspection of the service since registering at this location. The service was inspected at the previous location on 1 and 2 September 2016 and was fully compliant with all regulations covered in the inspection. During this inspection we found no breaches of regulations and we found people received a good service.

Purple Balm (Exeter) domiciliary care agency is a domiciliary care agency which provides personal care to vulnerable adults in the community, the majority living in the Exeter area. The service provision varies from half hourly visits daily to the provision of 24 hour care for people living in their own home. The agency also provides staff to work in residential and other social care settings; however we did not inspect this aspect of the service as there is no requirement for it to be registered. The registered manager told us personal care support was currently being provided to approximately 50 people.

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

The service was well-led. The registered manager and senior management team was praised for their caring manner, open and approachable management style. Care staff told us they felt well supported, and one member of staff said, “Purple Balm are excellent. I couldn’t fault them. If you have any queries or worries there is always someone at the end of the phone. Whether it’s concerns about a client or personal matters”. 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. People told us the service was very well run, and praised the management team and all the staff. They said, “It’s one of the best agencies”, “They are an amazing company” and, “They are very friendly and very effective”.

People told us they felt safe. They said they received a consistent and reliable service. Purple Balm had a system for identifying the most vulnerable people, which meant their needs would be prioritised if there were any problems affecting service provision. People were protected from abuse and harm because staff had completed training in safeguarding adults, and knew how to recognise and report safeguarding concerns. Purple Balm had worked closely with the local authority and other agencies to report and investigate safeguarding concerns and take any action necessary to keep people safe. 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. 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 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, “They are very caring staff, they cannot do enough for me” and, “Staff and office staff listen to my needs.” Purple