Woburn Care is a domiciliary care service, providing care to people living in their own homes.

At the last inspection, the service was rated good. At this inspection we found the service remained good.

The service has a 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.

People were safe because there were effective risk assessments in place, and systems to keep them safe from abuse or avoidable harm. There was sufficient numbers of staff to support people safely. Staff took appropriate precautions to ensure that people were protected from the risk of acquired infections. People’s medicines were managed safely, and there was evidence of learning from incidents.

People’s needs had been assessed regularly and they had care plans in place that took account of their individual needs, preferences, and choices. Staff had regular supervisions and they had been trained to meet people’s individual needs effectively. The requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 were being met, and staff understood their roles and responsibilities to seek people’s consent prior to care and support being provided. Where required, people had been supported to have enough to eat and drink to maintain their health and wellbeing. They were also supported to access healthcare services when families were unable to provide support.

People were supported by caring, friendly and respectful staff. They were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives, and the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff regularly reviewed the care provided and were guided through regular input by the person receiving care to ensure the care provided continued to meet their individual needs, in a person centred way.

The provider had an effective system to handle complaints and concerns. Where people were able to remain in their own homes, staff ensured that they remained comfortable, dignified and pain-free at the end of their lives.

The service was well managed and the provider’s quality monitoring processes had been used effectively to drive continuous improvements. The registered manager provided stable leadership and effective support to the staff. They worked well with staff to promote a caring and inclusive culture within the service. Collaborative working with people, their relatives and other professionals resulted in positive care outcomes for people using the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

We carried out this announced inspection by visiting the office on 4 and 7 August 2015. Following this, we spoke with people who used the service and members of staff by telephone. At the time of the inspection, the service provided care and support for 25 older people in their own homes.

The service did not have a 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 were systems in place to safeguard people from the possible risk of harm. There were risk assessments in place to provide guidance to staff on how risks to people could be managed and minimised.

The provider had effective recruitment processes in place to ensure that staff employed to work for the service were suitable for their roles. There were sufficient numbers of staff to support people safely.

Staff were skilled and knowledgeable in how to support people in accordance with their agreed care plans. Staff received regular supervision and support, and had been trained to meet people’s individual needs.

Staff were aware of their responsibilities and understood their roles to seek people’s consent prior to care being provided. People received care and support from a team of caring and respectful staff.

People’s needs had been assessed, and care plans included their individual needs, preferences, and choices. The provider had a formal process for handling complaints and concerns.

There were effective quality monitoring processes in place. Regular checks and audits had been carried out and people’s views had been sought regarding the quality of the service.