C F Contact and Support Services Limited provides personal care and support to children and young people in the community and in their own homes. At the time of our comprehensive inspection of 19 September 2017 there were seven children and young people using the personal care service. The service was given notice of our inspection to ensure someone would be available. The service was registered in August 2015 and this was their first inspection.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.

There were systems in place designed to reduce the risks of children and young people being abused, such as providing support workers with training in safeguarding and guidance in the service’s policies and procedures. Children and young people’s care records provided guidance to support workers about how the risks in people’s daily living were minimised.

There were enough support workers to meet the needs of the children and young people using the service. There were robust recruitment systems in place.

Where children and young people required assistance to take their medicines there were arrangements in place to provide this support safely.

Children and young people were cared for and supported by support workers who were trained and supported to meet their needs.

The service was working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2015 which relates to people over 16 years of age. For children and young people under the age of 16 years appropriate consent was sought before care was provided.

Where required, children and young people were provided with the support they needed to meet their dietary needs. The service worked with other professionals involved in children and young people’s care, including health professionals. This supported the good health of children and young people.

Children and young people and their families were treated with respect by their support workers and they shared positive relationships. Care records guided support workers in how children and young people’s privacy, dignity and independence was promoted and respected.

Children and young people received care and support which was planned and delivered to meet their specific needs. Children and young people and their relatives were involved in making decisions about their care and support.

There was a complaints procedure was in place.

There was an open and empowering culture in the service. Children and young people’s representatives, including their families, were asked for their views of the service and these were valued and acted on. There was a quality assurance system in place, as a result the quality of the service continued to improve.