This announced inspection took place on 12 and 14 September 2017. This service is a domiciliary care agency which supports people with their personal care needs in their own homes. At the time of our inspection five people were receiving care from Young Hearts SM.

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.

The service demonstrated, without exception, the caring and compassionate elements of their care. All of the staff and management team worked together to ensure they regularly went above and beyond people’s expectations to deliver personalised care which had a positive impact on their lives.

People were supported to be safe whilst they used the service. Staff were reliable and did not let people down. The staffing team had a good understanding of how to keep people safe and had a strong commitment to their safeguarding responsibilities. People were supported to take assessed risks which helped to develop their independence.

Staffing levels ensured that people could receive responsive and person centred care at all times and the provider’s recruitment procedures minimised the risks of employing unsuitable staff. People were supported to take their medicines safely and when they were required.

People and their relatives were positive about the skills and competencies of the staff. The training staff received reflected the needs of the people that used the service, and this was to a positive impact. Staff were able to gain an insight into some of the conditions and experiences of the people they supported and this enabled them to tailor people’s care to meet these needs.

The management team had an understanding of the Mental Capacity Act and worked within the boundaries of it. Each person was given as much information as they could understand in order to support them to make decisions. Throughout everything the service did, people were asked for their consent and were fully involved in deciding how they wanted their support.

People were encouraged to maintain a balanced diet and eat well. People’s healthcare needs were recognised and staff were efficient at identifying when people required additional support with these needs.

Staff built caring and compassionate relationships with people. People and their relatives were grateful for the support, kindness and generosity of the staff that supported them. There were clear professional boundaries in place however staff were able to maintain warm and endearing relationships with people. Staff took an empowering and empathetic attitude to support people and their personal development. Without exception, people were supported in a person centred manner.

Staff showed genuine interest and concern in people’s lives and people were listened to and encouraged to express their views. People’s individuality was respected and supported, and people were supported by staff to maintain relationships that were important to them. People had access to advocacy services, if they had little input or support from anybody outside of the service.

People’s needs were fully assessed in a person centred way to ensure the service could fully meet people’s needs and expectations. The transition for people to begin to use the service put people in control, and it was tailored to meet each individual’s needs and circumstances.

Staff were responsive and flexible and able to adapt their approach to get the best out of people even when they were anxious or upset. The service did not shy away from people with complex needs or challenging backgrounds and showed they could be successful in providing positive outcomes for people.

People had care plans in place that were re