This announced inspection was undertaken on Tuesday 22 November 2016. The inspection was announced to ensure it could be facilitated on that day by the registered manager. We last inspected Portsmouth Sitting Service and Community Care Service in January 2014 where the service was judged to be meeting the standards assessed at that time.

The Portsmouth Sitting Service and Community Care Service is a domiciliary care agency which provides personal care, a sitting service and also emotional support to people in their homes. The service is located in Southsea, Hampshire and at the time of the inspection, there were approximately 73 people using the service.

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.

The people we spoke with told us they felt safe. The staff we spoke with had a good understanding about safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures and told us they wouldn’t hesitate to report concerns.

We looked at how medication was handled at one of the houses we visited. We found gaps in signatures on the MAR (Medication Administration Record), although we were able to establish the medicines had been given, which was also confirmed by the person themselves. We were told action to be taken would include additional job chats, training and supervision in response to these discrepancies. The medicines policy and procedure also required updating to ensure it referenced the safe disposal of medication.

We found there were sufficient staff to care for people safely, although several people reported that when staff turned up late and weren’t always contacted by the office in advance. We raised this with the coordinator who said this should be done and would re-iterate this in team meetings. Staff spoken with didn’t raise any concerns about staffing numbers within the service.

We saw staff were recruited safely, with appropriate checks undertaken before they began working with vulnerable adults. This included ensuring DBS/CRB (Disclosure Barring Service/Criminal Records Bureau) checks were undertaken and references from previous employers sought.

The staff we spoke with told us they had access to sufficient training and received supervision as part of their ongoing development. Staff were also able to have ‘job chats’ in between supervision sessions if there was anything they needed to discuss.

The people we spoke with told us staff often helped them prepare lunch or an evening meal, although this was usually by putting a meal into the oven or microwave during the care call. The people we spoke with said staff did not need to help them eat or drink.

The people we spoke and their relatives with told us they were happy with the care provided by the service. People told us staff treated them with dignity and respect and promoted their independence as much as possible.

Each person who used the service had a care plan in place and we saw a copy was kept in the person’s home and at the office. The care plans provided an overview of each person’s care needs and were updated when things changed. The people we spoke with also said an initial assessment was undertaken, when they first started using the service.

The service sent satisfaction questionnaires to people, asking for their comments about the service. This enabled the service to continually improve based on feedback from people and anything that could be changed.

There was a complaint procedure in place, enabling people to state if they were unhappy with the service. The people we spoke with were aware of how to make a complaint where necessary. The service also collated positive compliments made about the service.

People who used the service and sta

A family member told us "I use the sitting service only. I have nothing but praise for the service. I never worry about my husband when I leave him. The carer is fantastic and she relates to my husband. He is at ease with her and that means a lot to me" and another said "I feel really lucky. The carer is such a nice lady. She has something special - a gift".

Care plans that we looked at evidenced staff supporting people to maintain their routines and promote their independence. Care plans evidenced the support people required and the choices offered when support was declined. Staff knew exactly how each person communicated which meant people's wishes were understood and respected.

Records that we looked at evidenced that people were involved in choosing how and when they wanted their care and support. This indicated that people were involved in planning their care on a daily basis.

A person using the service told us "I have nothing to complain about - I am very happy with the service. My wife and I know that we can contact the office at anytime and they are very helpful" and another said "the staff are caring, considerate and kind. They are a breath of fresh air and a joy to have in the house".

We carried out telephone surveys with six people who used the service to seek their views on the standards of service they received from the agency.

The people we spoke with told us the care staff were very reliable and knew their job. One person told us: “I have no complaints, I completely trust the staff. They are very good and take care of me.” Another person told us: “They visit the home in a timely manner and they are not rushed to complete the job. I feel like I matter.”

The people we spoke with told us they had been given all the information they needed to know about the agency and the services provided. They said they knew who to contact at the agency if they needed to.