The inspection took place between 10 July and 16 July 2018 and the provider was given 48 hours notice to ensure the registered manager was available to meet with us.

You & I Care Services is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to adults of all ages living in their own homes. There were 11 people using the service at the time of this inspection.

This was the first inspection of the service. There was a registered manager in post. 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 received their care and support safely. Staff understood how to support people and knew how to protect them from the risk of harm. The service recruited people safely and employed sufficient staff to meet people’s needs. People received their medicines as prescribed and the records were of a good standard. Staff had access to personal protective equipment such as gloves and aprons and knew how to protect people from the risk of infection.

People’s care needs had been assessed and their care plans reviewed as their needs changed. Staff were well trained and supervised and they knew how to support people effectively. People were supported with their fluid intake and preparation of meals. If people needed access to healthcare, staff helped them to attend appointments. The service worked well in partnership with other professionals to ensure that people received the health care support they needed.

The service worked in line with other legislation such as the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) to ensure that people had as much choice and control over their lives as possible. The service had carried out appropriate assessments in line with legislation.

Staff were caring, kind and friendly. People were encouraged to maintain and improve their independence where possible. Staff gave them the time they needed and respected their dignity and privacy. People were involved in decision-making and advocacy services were available if people needed them. An advocate supports a person to have an independent voice and enables them to express their views when they are unable to do so for themselves.

People received personalised care that was responsive to their needs and care plans and daily notes were detailed and informative. There was a complaints procedure and people had confidence that any complaints would be dealt with quickly. Staff were trained to care for people at their end of their life if it was required.

Staff and people told us they thought the service was well led. They knew who the registered manager was, and had confidence in them. Staff were well supported and happy in their work. The quality assurance systems were effective and the registered manager learnt from audits and investigations and made the necessary improvements. Confidential information was stored safely in line with data protection regulations.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.