This inspection took place on 18 and 28 June 2018 and was unannounced. This was the first inspection of this service since it was registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The service provides both a Shared Lives and a Reablement service. The Shared Lives scheme supports adults with needs that make it harder for them to live on their own; the support ranges from regular visits or activities to permanent placements with care workers. The Reablement service provides support for people for up to 6 weeks, often after a stay in hospital or an injury.

Not everyone using the service receives regulated activity. CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.

The service was provided mostly to people living in the Tameside area of Greater Manchester. At the time of our inspection 239 people were using the service.

The service had a registered manager in place. 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 registered manager had a clear understanding of their responsibilities.

People told us they felt safe. Processes were in place to support care workers in raising concerns and care workers we spoke with told us they felt able to raise any concerns. The service was part of the local authority and had good contacts with the safeguarding team.

Risk assessments were in place to identify risks people may encounter. People were encouraged to make choices about what they wanted to do and they were supported to do so in as safe a way as possible.

Checks were made on staff to ensure they were suitable before they were offered employment. Care workers underwent comprehensive inductions and shadowing before they worked unsupervised. Part of the induction provided care workers with an awareness of other services available so they could signpost people to other services that could help them.

Risks to people who were taking medicines were identified and support plans drawn up to help them receive their medicines safely. Where appropriate, technology that could help lower the risk to people was used. Care workers were trained in supporting people with their medicines.

People told us they were encouraged to make choices and told us this was reflected in the way they received support. Where people’s choices reflected their spiritual or cultural beliefs, care workers underwent awareness training so they understood why these choices were important to them.

Care workers told us they felt very supported and were made to feel part of a team. Care workers had regular meetings and supervisions with managers and told us they felt their managers were very approachable and would listen to them.

People using the service told us the care workers were very helpful and felt they were dependable. People told us the service had a positive impact on their lives.

People were encouraged to be independent people told us they had become more independent as a result of using the service. People using the service were supported to engage in activities in the local community and maintain contact with people who were important to them.

The Shared Lives service spent a lot of time making sure people using the service got to know their care workers before any placements were made and where people didn’t get on they would be introduced to a different care worker. The Reablement service included information about the person in their care records and wherever possible the same workers went to the same visits to allow the person time to get to know the care workers.

The service welcomed feedback from people a