Taylor Care HQ is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It provides a service to older people, younger adults, people with a physical disability or sensory impairment and people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection the service was providing support to 18 people.

At our last inspection, we rated the service Good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and on going monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

People received safe care. We found that staff had been recruited safely. The staff we spoke with were aware of how to safeguard adults at risk. There were safe processes and practices in place for the management and administration of medicines.

People supported and their relatives told us staff visited them on time and stayed as long as they should. They were happy with the staff who supported them and told us they were supported by staff they knew.

Staff received an effective induction and appropriate training. People supported and their relatives felt that staff had the knowledge and skills to meet people’s needs.

People received appropriate support with eating, drinking and their healthcare needs. Referrals were made to community health and social care professionals when appropriate, to meet people’s needs and manage their risks.

People told us staff respected their right to privacy and dignity. They told us staff took their time when providing support and encouraged them to be as independent as possible.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way; the policies and systems at the service supported this practice. Where people lacked the capacity to make decisions about their care, the service had taken appropriate action in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

We saw evidence that people received care that reflected their needs, risks and preferences. People told us they had been involved in discussions about their care and we found that where appropriate, their relatives or representatives had been consulted.

People being supported and their relatives told us they were happy with how the service was being managed. They found the manager and staff approachable and helpful.

The manager sought regular feedback from people being supported and their relatives and we noted that a high level of satisfaction had been expressed about all areas of the service.

Audits and checks of the service were completed regularly. We found the checks completed were effective in ensuring that appropriate levels of quality and safety were maintained at the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

We carried out an inspection of Taylor Care HQ on 8 and 9 March 2016. This was the first inspection that had been carried out at this service.

Taylor Care HQ is a domiciliary care agency. The service provides support to people with a variety of needs including younger adults, older people, people living with dementia and people with a physical disability or a sensory impairment. The agency’s office is located in a residential area in Burnley in East Lancashire. At the time of the inspection the service was providing support to 17 people.

The registered person, who was also the owner, was responsible for the day to day management of the service. There was no regulatory requirement to have a registered manager. 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.

During our inspection people told us they felt safe when staff supported them. One person told us, “I always feel safe with the staff. They know what they’re doing”.

We saw evidence that staff had been recruited safely. They had a good understanding of how to safeguard vulnerable adults from abuse and what action to take if they suspected abuse was taking place.

The people we spoke with told us that staff arrived on time and stayed for the right amount of time. They told us they were always supported by the correct number of staff.

We found that people’s medicines were managed safely and people told us they received their medicines when they should.

People told us they were happy with the service they received from Taylor Care HQ. One person told us, “I’m completely happy with the support I get. I’ve no concerns or complaints”.

We found that staff were well supported. They received an appropriate induction and training and received regular supervision.

Staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and supported people to make everyday decisions about their care. Where people lacked the capacity to make decisions about their care, their relatives were consulted.

We found that people were supported appropriately with eating and drinking and their healthcare needs were met.

People told us the staff who supported them were caring. One person said, “The staff are very nice, they never rush me”.

People told us staff respected their privacy and dignity and encouraged them to be independent.

People were involved in planning their care. Where people lacked the capacity to make decisions about their care, their relatives were involved.

People were asked to give feedback about the service they received.

People told us they were happy with the way the service was being managed. One person told us, “The manager is very supportive. We can ring her anytime”.

The service had clear aims and objectives which focused on providing high quality care and promoting people’s independence and sense of fulfilment. The manager and the staff were clear about the aims of the service and their responsibilities.

We saw evidence that staff practice was observed regularly and checks were made of the care records they completed. These checks were effective in ensuring that appropriate levels of care and safety were maintained.