We visited Assured Care Surrey Limited and looked at the care and welfare of people who used the service. During the inspection process we spoke with six people who used the service, the manager and five members of staff. We also spoke to a Pharmacist Advisor during the inspection.

Care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people’s safety and welfare. A person who used the service told us “I get very good help from them.” Another person told us “So far so good.”

We saw that the provider had systems in place to manage medicines. Staff understood their responsibilities around recording medication.

We raised concerns about the lack of detailed information recorded on the Medication Administration Record sheet (MAR).

We saw that a recruitment and selection process had been followed. This ensured that people’s needs were met by staff that were appropriately qualified and experienced to be able to do their job.

The provider had systems in place for recording training. One staff member told us “Yes I feel supported.” They went on to say “The manager has also helped me when I have been stuck.”

The provider had systems in place for assessing and monitoring the quality of the service.

All of the people we spoke with were very happy with the service. A person who used the service told us “I would recommend the service.”

People who use the services felt supported to make decisions for themselves and were encouraged to be independent. People told us that their privacy and dignity was respected at all times. Several said when asked if this was the case “oh definitely” or “very much so”. People also told us that their independence was encouraged as much as possible. One relative told us about staff offering choices to their relative whilst receiving care such as “what clothes they wanted to wear and their opinions on other things”. People told us they were able to make decisions and choices about their care and support. This was done by talking about this with them when they first began to use the service and when any concerns about their care arose. They said they had signed their care plan to show that they had given their agreement and consent.

Everyone told us they were happy with the care and support received. They received care and support from a small team of staff and were happy with the care received and had no concerns relating to workers. They felt supported by the staff and said the agency provided a reliable service with enough staff to meet their needs. They told us they felt staff had the skills and experience to meet their care needs and that they were kind and caring.

We carried out telephone interviews with five people who were either Agency clients themselves, or immediate relatives of clients.

We were told that staff treated people who used the service respectfully, and involved them in planning their own care.

They told us staff followed their care plan, and appeared to be well trained for the work they were undertaking. People who used the service confirmed they felt safe in the hands of Assured Care staff. Comments included “Staff are really helpful. We’ve never been better treated” and “Most of them are angels.”

We were told that staff adhered to good hygiene and infection control practices, and people who received this service commented favourably on the overall quality of the care received. Comments on the overall quality included “I’ve been with them from the beginning and I’m quite satisfied” and “They are very, very good in every respect.”