This inspection visit took place on 31 July 2018 and was announced. This is the first inspection since the service registered with CQC in July 2017.

At this inspection we found the service was rated Good.

South Ribble Care is a domiciliary care agency. It is part of I Care Ltd and provides personal care to people who live in their own homes. The service covers a wide range of dependency needs including people with a learning disability, people with mental health problems, people living with dementia and older people.

At the time of our inspection South Ribble Care was providing a service to 60 people.

There was a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with 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. Having a registered manager is a condition of registration with CQC. The registered manager was based at I Care’s Blackpool office. Although he was not based at South Ribble Care, the care manager at South Ribble office was able to contact the registered manager as needed.

People told us staff safely supported and cared for them or their family member. They said they were friendly and caring. One person said, “My carers’ look after me so patiently. I know them and feel safe with them.”

There were procedures in place to protect people from abuse and unsafe care. Risk assessments were in place which provided guidance for staff. This minimised risks to people. Staff supported people with and managed medicines safely. People we spoke with told us staff were competent in the support they gave with medicines.

Staff told us they had enough time to care for people in an unhurried and dignified way. People said staff usually arrived on time, stayed for the correct time allocated and did not rush them.

People told us they were usually supported by the same group of staff who they knew and liked. They told us they had confidence in their staff team who were familiar with their needs and preferences.

Staff were recruited safely and had received training in how to care for people. They also received regular one to one supervision to discuss, current care provided, future plans and any support or training need. These measures gave them with the skills and knowledge to provide safe and effective support.

Staff supported people to have a nutritious dietary and fluid intake, taking into account the person’s nutritional needs, likes and dislikes.

There were safe infection control procedures and practices and staff had received infection control training. Staff wore protective clothing such as gloves and aprons when needed. This reduced the risk of infection.

Staff understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (2005). People who received support consented to care where they were able. Where people lacked capacity, appropriate best interests’ decisions were carried out.

Care plans were in place detailing how people wished to be supported. People who received support or where appropriate, their relatives had been involved in making decisions about their care.

People we spoke with knew how to raise a concern or to make a complaint. The complaints procedure was available to them and they told us any concerns were listened to and acted upon.

We found the registered manager, care manager and staff team had clear lines of responsibility and accountability. They were clear about their roles and provided a well-run and consistent service. People and their relatives were encouraged to give their views about the care provided. They told us they were pleased with the support they received. They told us the care manager was competent and well respected by people who used the service, their relatives and the staff team.

The care manager and senior care staff monitored the support s