This inspection took place on the 1 November 2018. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location is a domiciliary care service and so we needed to be sure key staff would be available at the office. Not everyone using the service received a regulated activity. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) only inspects the service being received by people provided with 'personal care', that is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of our inspection, the service was providing a ‘personal care’ service to 130 people. The service supports people with a range of care needs including, people living with dementia, mental health needs, learning disabilities and physical disabilities.

The service had an experienced registered manager. 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 was a clear leadership and management structure in place which helped to ensure that the service was able to deliver effective care and that staff at all levels were clear about their role and responsibilities.

The registered manager and provider worked closely and effectively as a team and a hands-on approach which was valued by staff.

Staff were very positive about the leadership team who they said were approachable, accessible and supportive.

The registered manager and provider acted as excellent role models for the staff team and championed the importance of person centred care.

The registered manager and provider had fostered a positive culture within the staff team and staff were thanked and praised for performing their role well.

The registered manager and provider were committed to developing and upskilling their staff team and encouraging them to reach their potential.

The registered manager and provider were passionate about the service and had a clear vision for its future.

Quality assurance checks such as spot checks of the competency of care workers and audits of their record keeping were carried out on a regular basis which helped to maintain good practice

People told us they were supported by staff who were kind and caring. Staff displayed a genuine desire to enhance people's wellbeing and to developing positive relationships with the people they cared for. Care staff had an excellent understanding of the importance of promoting people's independence and supporting them to retain as much control as possible. People were treated with respect and the support they received helped to maintain their dignity.

The registered manager and provider had fostered an open and transparent culture within the service. They were passionate about the service and had a clear vision for its future. They acted as a good role model for the staff team and championed the importance of developing their staff team to person centred care.

People felt safe when being supported by the care workers. Risk assessments were undertaken to assess any risks to people who received a service and to the care workers who supported them.

Medicines were managed safely. Staff had received training in safeguarding adults and had a good understanding of the signs of abuse and neglect and of how to report any concerns they might have about people.

Most people’s feedback about the timeliness and consistency of their calls was positive. Some felt this was an area where further improvements could be made as did some staff. There was evidence that the provider and registered manager were continuing to try and address this.

A range of recruitment checks took place before staff started working at the service.

Staff understood their responsibility to raise concerns and reco