This inspection was carried out on the 09 November 2016. Spring Cottages Home Care Limited is a domiciliary care agency and was last inspected in November 2013. At this inspection we found no breaches in the regulations we looked at.

As the agency is small we gave 24 hours notice of our inspection. This was because the registered provider is actively involved in the day to day running of the agency and we needed to ensure they were available.

The office is based in Padiham with parking available. At the time of the inspection Spring Cottages Home Care Limited supported 80 people with care and support needs. An out of hours contact number is provided for use in the event of an emergency.

At the time of inspection there was a manager who was registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.

There were systems in place to ensure people who used the service were protected from the risk of harm and abuse. Staff we spoke with knew the action to take if they had concerns in this area. They told us they would report concerns to ensure people were protected from harm.

Staff were knowledgeable of peoples’ assessed needs. People who received care and support and their relatives told us they were happy with the care provision from Spring Cottages Home Care Limited.

There were arrangements in place to ensure people received their medicines safely.

Recruitment checks were carried out prior to a staff member starting to work with the agency. Staff received training to enable them to give care that met peoples’ needs. Staffing was arranged to ensure people received care and support at the time they wanted.

There was a complaints policy, which was understood by staff and was available to people who received care and support. People told us they were confident any complaints would be addressed and they considered staff to be caring. We were told, “They’re gentle and kind to me.” And, “I can’t praise the staff enough. They’re all so nice and thoughtful as well.”

The management of Spring Cottages Home Care Limited demonstrated their understanding of the processes in place to protect people’s rights if people lacked mental capacity.

People who received care and support and staff, told us they considered Spring Cottages Home Care Limited to be well-led.

People who used the service we spoke with like to be referred to as clients. Staff we spoke with like to be referred to as support workers.

The manager told us that since out last inspection they had written to all clients who used the service who had medications included in their care package. A family member we spoke with confirmed they had received this information regarding planned changes from the provider. We were shown evidence of feedback from clients and relevant others and we discussed how the provider dealt with any concerns raised.

One client told us the support workers help with their medicines. They said, “The staff always help with my medicines. They watch me take them. The staff go through my care file, I am confident my medicines are okay”.

People spoken with told us they were satisfied with the quality of care and support they received. They told us their needs had been discussed and they had agreed to the support to be provided. One person told us, “We had to sign to agree to the service they provide”.

We looked at six care records that were held at the service's office and records that were kept in the home of two people. We saw records in place to ensure people's consent was gained in relation to the personal care provided.

People told us they had no concerns about the care being provided and they felt safe and protected from potential harm. One person told us, “They always make sure my mum is safe and well. We have their number in case of an emergency”.

We found improvements needed to be made to make sure medicines were always administered safely.

People told us their care workers provided sensitive and flexible support and they were well cared for. A person spoken with told us, “The staff are brilliant” and “If we didn’t have them we’d be lost”. We looked at six staff records and saw evidence they had received supervision and were provided with training relevant to their role.

We found risk assessments that were required to be kept to protect the safety and wellbeing of people were accurate and up to date.

We noted that the agency policies and procedures were clear and up to date. These procedures are required to ensure good working practices and protect people who may be at risk.

People told us they were happy with the care and support they received and were treated well by staff. Comments included, "They’re marvellous and very good with me” and “There are no problems, everything is ok”. People told us they were able to express their views and opinions and could influence the way their care was delivered. They said they could raise any concerns with the manager or their carer at any time and were confident they would be listened to. Comments included, “They’re very good with me” and “My carer is lovely, she’s very patient and kind”.