This inspection took place on 18 and 24 April 2018 and was announced. We told the provider one day before our visit that we would be coming. This is the first inspection for this service which was registered in May 2017.

Right at Home is part of a franchise that delivers care to people in many areas of the United Kingdom. They provide domiciliary care and support to mainly older people living in their own homes in the Mitcham, Streatham and Dulwich area of London. This service includes assistance with all personal care, meal preparation, eating, medicines administration and general domestic chores. We only looked at the service for people receiving personal care during this inspection as this is the service that is regulated by CQC. The staff who support people are known as ‘caregivers,’ we have called them this in the report and office personnel are referred to as staff.

The service did not have a registered manager at the time of the inspection. The former registered manager had left at the end of January 2018 and the provider had recruited a new manager who was due to start at the end of April 2018. In the meantime the provider was managing the service.

A manager is a person who has registered with the 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.

The provider had only been delivering services to people for the past year, but during that time had established good practices and procedures which would help as the service expanded.

People were safe in their homes. Caregivers and staff could explain to us how to keep people safe from abuse and neglect. People had suitable risk assessments in place. The provider managed risks associated with people’s homes, to help keep people and caregivers safe. Recruitment practices were safe.

Staff were trained in medicine administration and the checks we made confirmed that people were receiving their medicines as prescribed by caregivers qualified to administer medicines

People were supported by caregivers who received appropriate training and support. Staff had the skills, experience and a good understanding of how to meet people’s needs.

Staff were providing support in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005. When required people were supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts to meet their needs. Staff worked well with people’s GP and other healthcare professional to ensure they stayed well and comfortable.

People and relatives told us staff were caring, kind and efficient and staff respected their privacy and treated them with dignity.

People’s needs were assessed before they started to use the service and care was planned and delivered in response to their needs. The provider had arrangements in place to respond appropriately to people’s concerns and complaints.

The provider had recognised and responded to people’s social needs by starting a dementia café ‘The Waterlily’ to support people with dementia and their family and caregivers. The manager also delivered regular information sessions to the local community on how to be more dementia friendly and supportive of those people living with dementia.

Systems were in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service. The provider had effective quality assurance systems to monitor the scheme’s processes. These systems helped ensure people received the care they needed as detailed in their support plans.