This inspection took place on 30 September 2016. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service in people’s own homes and we needed to be sure that someone would be available to assist with the inspection. It was the first inspection since the service moved to a new location in March 2014. The service was last inspected in June 2013 and we found that the service did not meet all the standards we inspected. During a follow up inspection in December 2013, we saw that improvements to the service had been made.

Vanity Care provides personal care and support to people in their own homes, within east London. At the time of our inspection, 14 people were using the service.

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 care homes, 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.

Systems were in place to ensure people were protected from the risk of abuse. Staff were aware of the different types of abuse and how to respond. People had their individual risks assessed and staff were aware of the plans to manage the risks. People received care at home from staff who understood their needs. When required, staff administered prescribed medicines safely to people. Staff had received training to do this.

Staff had been recruited following appropriate checks and the provider had sufficient staff available to provide support to people. People told us they received support from staff who understood their preferences and encouraged them to remain as independent as possible. They were listened to by staff and were involved in making decisions about their care and support. People were supported to meet their nutritional needs.

Staff were attentive, respectful and patient when providing care to people. People told us that they were generally happy and felt well cared for. Staff ensured people were treated with privacy and dignity.

Staff undertook training and received supervision to support them to carry out their roles effectively. The registered manager and the staff team had attended training on the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). However, we found that the service did not have a suitable policy on the requirements of the MCA. We have made a recommendation about reviewing the policy to make it more relevant to the MCA.

People’s needs were assessed before they received care in their home. The care plans were person centred and tailored to meet their needs. Care plans were regularly reviewed to reflect people's changing needs. People and their relatives felt able to talk to the registered manager and said that most issues were dealt with in a timely manner. However, some people and relatives did not always feel that staff were responsive to their needs. We have made a recommendation about this.

Staff told us that they received support and encouragement from the registered manager and were provided opportunities to develop in their roles. Staff told us any concerns they had would be addressed by the registered manager. People and their relatives were encouraged to express their views and give feedback about their care.

The registered manager was committed to monitoring the quality of care provided to people. They ensured that regular checks were completed and looked at where improvements could be made.