About the service:

Sanctuary Home Care Ltd – Gravesend is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of the inspection there were 20 using the service.

People’s experience of using this service:

• People's outcomes were consistently good and their feedback about the service confirmed this.

• People continued to receive personalised care by staff who knew them well. Everyone was treated with kindness and dignity and involved in decisions about their care.

• Support for people enabled them to be as independent as possible so they could remain in their own home. They had 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.

• People were cared for by a consistent team of staff who were skilled and competent in providing care and support. Staff and the registered manager were motivated and passionate about supporting people based on their likes, wishes and preferences.

• Trusting relationships had developed between staff and people so that people felt safe. Risks to people’s well-being and in the environment continued to be effectively managed.

• People’s health and well-being was monitored and liaison took place with a range of health and social care professionals to support this. People continued to receive the support they needed with their medicines.

• The service was well-led. People’s feedback about the quality of care was actively sought. Quality assurance processes meant that improvements to the service were continuously implemented.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection: Good (last report published 21 September 2016)

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection. The service remains Good.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor this service and plan to inspect in line with our re-inspection schedule for those services rated Good.

This inspection took place on 26 August 2016. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice as they are a domiciliary care provider and we needed to be sure staff would be available to meet with us.

Sanctuary Home Care Ltd – Gravesend provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes. The service supports some people on a 24 hour basis and others who may require support with personal care needs at specific times of the day and or night. At the time of the inspection 12 people were receiving support with their personal care needs. All the people using the service were residing in the provider’s supported living scheme flats. Sanctuary Home Care Ltd – Gravesend operated from the same building complex and was staffed every day of the week, both night and day to provide personal care to people living at the service.

This is the first comprehensive inspection of the service by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) since registration in February 2016.

The service 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.

People were provided with equipment according to their individual needs, such as wheelchairs and other mobility aids. The building was well maintained and decorated.

Staff supported people to be safe at the service and in the community. People's needs were assessed and any related risks to their health and safety identified. Support plans were in place to guide staff on how to manage the known risks safely. People received their medicines as prescribed from staff who had been assessed as competent to do so.

There were sufficient staff available to support people and people had a choice of staff that supported them. People were supported by staff recruited through a robust recruitment process.

The service met the legal requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguard (DoLS). The service ensured people who lacked decision making capacity received the support they required to understand and make decisions relating to their care.

People were asked for their consent to the care and support they received. People and staff said the registered manager was easily available, approachable and friendly and ensured the service operated effectively.

Staff were supported to develop in their role. Staff received regular supervisions and appraisals to reflect on their performance. Staff used feedback to improve their practice and took up training to address any gaps in their knowledge. Staff attended regular training courses which enabled them to plan and deliver people’s support as required.

People’s health needs were assessed and their relatives were involved in planning and making decisions about their care and support. People’s support plans identified the care and support they needed and how they wanted it provided. People received care and support which reflected their choices and preferences. Staff met people regularly to discuss their support plan to ensure their support reflected any changes in their needs.

Staff knew people’s routines and supported them to pursue their hobbies and interests. People were encouraged to be as independent as possible.

People were supported by staff who understood their health needs and recognised changes to their well-being. The service communicated well with healthcare professionals to ensure people received appropriate care and treatment.

Staff supported people to eat and drink as required and encouraged them to eat healthily.

People told us they were happy at the service and said staff were polite and caring. Staff treated people with dignity and respect and provided their care in a compassionate way. People rece