This inspection took place on 03 October 2018 and was announced.

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It provides a service to older adults. At the time of our inspection 11 people were receiving support from the service.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of inspection. 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.

Risks to people were effectively managed to ensure that they were kept safe, and reviewed following any changes in need. Staff knew of the action to take to report any potential safeguarding issues. Safe recruitment processes ensured that people were cared for by staff that had been vetted to work with them. Medicines were safely managed and people received their medicines at times that they needed them. Incidents and accidents were sufficiently recorded, investigated and any learning shared.

Staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and sought appropriate consent from people. People’s needs and choices were assessed prior to commencement of the service, and reviewed at appropriate intervals or when their needs changed. People were supported to eat meals of their preference, and seek support from other healthcare professionals.

People and their relatives were enthusiastic about the level of care the service provided. Staff were clear on the needs of the people they were supporting and demonstrated they knew them well. People’s privacy and dignity was respected by the service.

People received personalised care, and their care plans reflected how they preferred for staff to support them. The guidance that was in place demonstrated what people could do for themselves, and how staff should support them to be independent. The service had not received any complaints at the time of the inspection.

The registered manager effectively monitored the quality of the service delivery, and records showed that people were satisfied with the service provision. Management support was highly spoken of, and the registered manager responded to the needs of people, relatives and staff in a timely manner.