About the service: 94 Priestley Road is a domiciliary (home care) care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

People’s experience of using this service:

People told us they felt the care and support they received was safe. Staff had not received training in safeguarding from the provider. The registered manager told us they accepted in-date certificates from staff`s previous employers as proof of training. Staff told us they reported their concerns to the registered manager, however they were unsure about how to report their concerns externally to the local authority or the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Relatives told us they could rely on staff coming to visit them, however they were not always sure what time staff would turn up. The registered manager told us they supported people who were nearing the end of their life and at times they spent more time with people which delayed the visit to the next person.

Staff had not received training from the provider. The registered manager told us they only recruited experienced and trained staff as their business was at the beginning. They had not carried out competency checks on staff but the manager commenced these and sourced some training for staff following the inspection.

Care plans were not developed fully. The registered manager accepted and followed a plan of care done by the health or social care professional who referred people to them. They had not assessed risks presented to people and staff whilst they were delivering care and support for people. The registered manager implemented an environmental and improved the mobility risk assessment for people following the inspection.

Not all the provider`s policies and procedures were personalised or relevant to the service they operated. This had been reviewed by the registered manager after the inspection.

Relatives told us staff were kind and caring when supporting people and ensured people were comfortable and their assessed needs were met. Relatives told us they had no concerns about the staff and the care they provided. They only complained that staff were late at times.

Staff told us they were happy with the support they received from the registered manager who was a registered nurse, however they had no formal supervision. They told us they always worked in pairs which meant that often were working with the registered manager who could give them guidance where needed.

The registered manager had no formal audit system to monitor the quality of the service, however they told us they worked hands on and saw people and relatives at least once a month so that they could receive feedback about the service people received.

Rating at last inspection: This was the first inspection of the service since they registered with the Care Quality Commission on 09 March 2018.

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.