This comprehensive inspection took place on 2 and 9 May 2018. The inspection was announced which meant that the staff and provider were aware that we would be visiting.

Sanctuary Home Care Limited – Devon is a domiciliary care agency. It provides care and support to people living in specialist ‘extra care’ housing at Moreton Court Extra Care Scheme, Bideford. Both services belong to the Sanctuary group. Extra care housing is purpose-built or adapted accommodation in a shared site or building. The accommodation is bought or rented and is the occupant’s own home. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. The Care Quality Commission does not regulate premises used for extra care housing; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support service.

Not everyone using Sanctuary received a regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.

There were 59 flats at the scheme and 29 people were receiving personal care. The care visit times ranged from a minimum of 15 minutes to a maximum of one hour. The frequency of care visits ranged from once a week to 28 times a week.

At our last inspection in November 2015 we rated the service Good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the overall rating of Good but the caring domain had improved to Outstanding. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

Why the service is rated Good:

The home had 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The registered manager and care workers delivered care and support which took into account people's individual choices and preferences. People were extremely happy and complimentary over the service and the staff that supported them. Care workers treated people with respect, dignity and compassion at all times. Meaningful relationships had been developed with the care workers who supported them. Families, friends and pets were supported as part of people’s ongoing care, support and wellbeing. Two relatives said, “Absolutely marvellous here, the people, the service, the place” and “They (family members) are so happy here …”

People were encouraged to be as independent as possible by care workers they trusted and felt safe with. Care workers supported people to lead an enhanced quality of life. People commented, “Everything is hunky dory … staff are marvellous” and “They are very friendly and very caring”. People said care workers went 'the extra mile' and that they went above and beyond what was expected of them. They gave examples of when this happened. Relatives said, “I can’t say anything bad … I love Moreton Court”, “Outstanding care, I can’t fault it” and “It is the perfect place sent from heaven … we are more than satisfied …it’s the best place we could have found.”

People had a regular team of care workers and liked to see familiar faces. People were kept safe and cared for by care workers who were aware of their safeguarding responsibilities. Care workers were safely recruited, trained and supervised in their work. They enjoyed their jobs, felt included and listened to in the running of the agency. People had confidence in the management of the service and the registered manager acted as a role model for the staff team. People were confident any issues would be dealt with appropriately.

People were supported by adequate staff to meet their needs. Staff had received safeguarding training and wer

This inspection took place on 10, 17 and 18 November 2015 and was announced. The provider was given short notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be in. This was Sanctuary Home Care Ltd – Devon first inspection since registering the new location with the Care Quality Commission in May 2015.

Sanctuary Home Care Ltd – Devon provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes in Bideford and the surrounding areas. At the time of our inspection there were 220 people receiving a service.

When we visited 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.

People felt safe and staff were able to demonstrate a good understanding of what constituted abuse and how to report if concerns were raised. Measures to manage risk were as least restrictive as possible to protect people’s freedom. People’s rights were protected because the service followed the appropriate guidance.

Care files were personalised to reflect people’s personal preferences. Their views and suggestions were taken into account to improve the service. They were supported to maintain a balanced diet. Health and social care professionals were regularly involved in people’s care to ensure they received the right care and treatment.

Staff relationships with people were strong, caring and supportive. Staff were motivated and inspired to offer care that was kind and compassionate.

Staffing arrangements were flexible in order to meet people’s individual needs. Staff received a range of training and regular support to keep their skills up to date in order to support people appropriately. Staff spoke positively about communication and how the management team worked well with them, encouraged team working and an open culture.

A number of effective methods were used to assess the quality and safety of the service people received.