About the service: BIG House is a domiciliary care service, which provides personal care and support to children and adults. The service was supporting eight adults at the time of the inspection. No children were being supported. The registered manager told us the service had started providing people with support from 20 January 2019.

People’s experience of using this service:

People who used the service and their relatives told us they were very happy with the support provided by BIG House.

People felt safe when staff supported them and told us staff visited them when they should. The provider followed safe processes when recruiting staff and staff understood the action to take if they witnessed or suspected abuse. The service managed people’s risks appropriately and people received their medicines in a safe way. Some minor improvements were needed to medicines documentation and the provider actioned these shortly after the inspection. People were protected from the risks associated with poor infection control.

The service provided people with care and support which met their needs. People felt staff had the knowledge and skills to support them effectively. Staff received a thorough induction when they joined the service and completed the provider’s required training, which helped to ensure they were able to meet people’s needs. Mental capacity assessments had been completed in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and people’s relatives were consulted when they were unable to make decisions about their care. Staff supported people appropriately with their nutrition, hydration and healthcare needs and the service referred people to community professionals when they needed additional support.

People liked the staff who supported them and told us staff treated them with kindness and respect. People’s diversity was respected and they received any support they needed with their communication needs. Staff respected people’s right to privacy and dignity and people’s personal information was kept confidential. People told us their care needs had been discussed with them and they were involved in decisions about their care. There was no information available about local advocacy services. The registered manager told us he would find out about local services and ensure this information was passed on to people supported by the service.

People receive personalised care which reflected their needs and preferences. Care plans and risk assessments were individualised and updated when people’s needs or risks changed. People were supported by a small number of staff who knew them and how they liked to be supported. Staff gave people choices and encouraged them to make every day decisions about their support. No complaints had been received by the service. However, we saw evidence that minor concerns were dealt with quickly and effectively.

People supported by the service and their relatives were happy with how the service was being managed. We found evidence that the service was providing people with person-centred, high quality care. Staff liked working at the service and told us they felt well supported by the registered manager. The service sought regular feedback from people about the care provided. People expressed a high level of satisfaction with the support they received. The registered manager and senior staff completed regular checks of staff competence and care documentation. The checks completed were effective in ensuring the service maintained appropriate levels of quality and safety.

The service met the characteristics of Good in all areas.

Rating at last inspection: This was our first inspection of the service.

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection.

Follow up: We will inspect the service again in line with its rating. We will continue to monitor the service to ensure that people receive safe, effective care and may inspect the service sooner if we receive concerning information.

For more details,