We inspected this service on 15 and 16 August 2016. This was an announced inspection and we telephoned the week prior to our inspection in order to arrange home visits and telephone interviews with people. The service provides care in people’s homes to older people and people with debilitating illness and long term conditions such as dementia. The service is available in the South Derbyshire area, with an office based in Long Eaton. At the time of the inspection 86 people were being supported by the service. Our last inspection took place in December 2013 and at that time we found the provider was meeting the regulations.

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 company was part of a larger organisation which provided care in the community. The staff told us they felt supported by the manager and they had received ongoing supervision and meetings to support their development. Staff received training in a range of areas to enable them to carry out their role and had been given the opportunity to access further training. New employees received the relevant checks to ensure they were safe to work with people and they were provided with an induction to support their role.

People told us they felt safe and the staff knew how to report any concerns to ensure people were protected from harm. Risk assessments had been completed for the environment and specific needs. The assessments identified guidance and ways to reduce any identified risk.

There were sufficient staff to support people’s needs and people told us they received support from a regular group of staff which they found reassuring. Where people required support with their medicine this was completely safely and in line with the appropriate training and guidance. Healthcare professionals had been contacted when requested to support people’s health and wellbeing.

People were given choices and supported to make decisions. Where they were unable to make some decisions independently these had been made with support of people who the person had chosen and through an assessment to ensure the decision was in the person’s best interest.

Some people required support with their meals. They were given choices on the meal they wished to eat and staff provided guidance for specific dietary need to support the person’s nutritional needs.

People told they had developed relationships with the staff and that they were treated with kindness and compassion. Their dignity was respected in aspects of the care they received. We saw the service was responsive and provided a flexible approach to support people’s care needs and changing situations.

The provider and manager completed a range of audits to maintain the quality of the service or to make improvements. People felt positive about the service and were able to approach the manager if they required any changes to their care needs. Any complaints which had been received had been responded to. People and staff were asked their opinion on the service and we saw that they had been responded to continue to make improvements.