This inspection started with a visit to the office location on 29 November 2017 and was announced. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice of the inspection to ensure that the people we needed to speak with were available. On 30 November we made calls to people who use the service and staff to gain their views and experiences. This was their first inspection since they registered their new location with CQC in October 2016.

The inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector. At the time of this inspection the service was providing the regulated activity of personal care to 57 people who lived in their own homes. These services were managed by the agency from an office in South Gloucestershire. The management team consisted of the provider who was also the registered manager, a deputy care manager, a care co-ordinator and an office manager.

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 feedback we received from people and staff was very positive throughout.

The safety of people who used the service was taken seriously and the registered manager and staff were aware of their responsibility to protect people’s health and wellbeing. There were systems in place to ensure that risks to people’s safety and wellbeing were identified and addressed.

The whole staff team were highly motivated and proud of the service. All staff were fully supported by the management team and a programme of training and supervision enabled them to provide a good quality service to people. The registered manager, provider and all staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and, worked to ensure people's rights were respected.

The registered manager ensured that staff had a full understanding of people’s care needs and had the skills and knowledge to meet them. People received consistent support from staff who knew them well. People had positive, caring relationships with staff and were confident in the service. People who used the service felt they were treated with kindness and said their privacy and dignity was always respected.

People received a service that was based on their personal needs and wishes. Changes in people’s needs were quickly identified and their care was amended to meet their changing needs. The service was flexible and responded very positively to people’s requests. People who used the service felt able to make requests and express their opinions and views. There was a dedicated palliative care team to support those people nearing the end of their life who wished to die at home.

People benefitted from a service that was well led. The vision, values and culture of the service were clearly communicated to and understood by staff. The registered manager was very committed to continuous improvement. They demonstrated good values and, a desire to learn about and implement best practice throughout the service.

The registered manager demonstrated a good understanding of the importance of effective quality assurance systems. There were processes in place to monitor quality and understand the experiences of people who used the service.