This inspection took place on 23 May and was announced. We gave the registered manager 2 days' notice of the inspection to ensure they would be available to meet with us. This was the first inspection of the service since it was registered by the provider.

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. At the time of our inspection the service was providing personal care and support to 11 older adults in the London Borough of Bromley.

The service had 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.

At this inspection we found that people were protected from the risk of abuse because staff were aware of the type of abuse and action to take if they suspected abuse had occurred. Risks to people were assessed and staff worked to ensure identified risks were managed safely. Staff were aware of the action to take to reduce the risk of the spread of infection. There were sufficient staff deployed to meet people’s needs and people confirmed they were supported by a consistent staffing group. The provider followed safe recruitment practices.

People received safe support to take medicines where this was part of their assessed needs. Staff were aware to report any accidents or incidents that occurred whilst supporting people and the registered manager reviewed the outcomes of all accidents and incidents with a view to reducing the risk of repeat occurrence. People’s needs were assessed before they started receiving a service to ensure that staff were able to provide them with effective care. Staff received an induction when they started work for the service and were supported in their roles through regular training and supervision.

Staff sought people’s consent when offering them support. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff monitored people’s conditions and supported them to access healthcare services when needed. People were supported to maintain a balanced diet where this was part of their assessed needs.

Staff treated people with kindness and consideration. They treated people with dignity and respected their privacy. People were involved in making decisions about the support they received. They were involved in developing their care plans and received care which reflected their individual needs and preferences. The provider had a complaint policy and procedure which gave guidance to people on how to raise concerns. People knew how to make a complaint and expressed confidence that any issues they raised would be addressed.

The provider had systems in place for monitoring the quality and safety of the service. People told us the service was well managed. The provider held regular staff meetings to ensure staff were aware of the responsibilities of their roles and kept up to date with service developments. Staff told us they felt well supported and valued by the management team. The registered manager was open to working with other agencies to ensure people received high quality care. The provider sought people’s views to ensure they were happy with the service they received and to make service improvements, if required.