About the service: This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It provides a service to older adults. At the time of the inspection, it was providing care to 26 people.

People’s experience of using this service:

People experienced a reliable service, with personal care delivered by compassionate, kind and well-trained staff. One person said, “I can’t fault them they are very good. Nothing is too much trouble. They are meticulous and always arrive on time. The staff are tremendous and very pleasant. If I need emergency cover they send someone as extra cover. Another person said, “They treat me and my husband with respect. They maintain our privacy. They are brilliant, and we know them all. They are very well trained.”

Staff had a good understanding of people's needs and provided person-centred care which put people at the heart of the service. They continued to find ways of supporting people to have a good quality of life.

People are supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.

People were supported by consistent staff. Enough staff were available to ensure people's wellbeing, safety and security were protected. Robust recruitment and selection process’ were in place.

Staff were provided with an induction and had been trained to ensure they could meet people’s needs.

Positive relationships had developed between people and the staff that supported them. People and their families were involved with care planning and staff knew people well and could explain their histories and personal preferences.

Information included guidance for staff, so they could follow a structured approach to providing person centred care. When people had been supported at the end of their lives, relatives told us, staff were supportive, competent and understanding.

Systems were in place to seek the views of people who used the service and monitor the quality of the service people received. Spot checks, care planning review meetings and audits were carried out on a regular basis.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection: This service was last rated Good. (8 June 2016)

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor the service through the information we receive, and inspect the service if risk is indicated.

This inspection took place on the 7 and 8 June 2016 and was announced. This meant the provider knew we were coming. One inspector carried out the inspection.

Calvern Care is a domiciliary care agency based in Chelmsford, providing personal care and support to people in their homes. At the time of inspection there were 42 people using the service.

There is a Registered Manager at this location. 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 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 registered manager ensured staff had a full understanding of people’s care needs and had the skills and knowledge to meet them. People received consistent support from care workers who knew them well. People felt safe and secure when receiving care.

People received a service, which was based on their personal needs. Changes in people’s needs were identified and their care package amended when their needs changed. The service was flexible and responded positively to people’s requests. People who used the service felt able to make requests and express their opinions and views.

Staff was motivated and proud of the service. They said they were supported by the registered manager and received a programme of training and supervision that enabled them to provide a high quality service to people.

People had positive relationships with their care workers and were confident in the service. There was a strong emphasis on key principles of care such as respect, and dignity. People who used the service felt they were treated with kindness and said their privacy and dignity was respected.

People’s needs were met and by sufficient numbers of staff. The risks to people were identified and reviewed to ensure people remained safe. Staff members understood their responsibilities and managed medicines safely.

The registered manager carried out improvements when these had been identified and people who used the service, family members, and staff were consulted about the quality of the service they received.

Our inspection consisted of a visit to the Calvern Care Limited office on 06 December 2013. We spoke with the registered provider, registered manager, deputy managers, care co-ordinators and five care workers. We spoke with six people who used the service and/or those acting on their behalf on 14 December 2013 and 15 December 2013. Comments about the quality of service provided was very positive and staff spoken with told us that they enjoyed working for the organisation.

Records viewed showed that support plans covered all aspects of a person's individual circumstances. The provider had appropriate arrangements in place to ensure that the management of medicines was safe and that it met individual people's needs. We found that there were suitable arrangements in place to ensure that there were sufficient numbers of staff available for the needs of the service. We found that the provider had robust recruitment procedures in place so as to ensure peoples safety and wellbeing. People who used the service were confident that their comments and complaints were listened to and acted on.

People using the service told us that the staff listened to them and helped them to remain as independent as possible. We found that the care provided was very person centred and people using the service told us that they were involved in the management of their care. One person said that their wishes were "explicitly" recorded in their care plan.

People told us that they thought the standard of care provided was either good or very good. Comments included "My care plan is up to date and the staff always ask how I am in myself" and "If I want anything I just ring up, they are very good to me." One person told us that "The staff act on any issues we raise with them and my care plan reflects my needs."

We found that the staff working at the agency were well trained and received a good level of support from the management team. The provider had good quality assurance systems in place based on obtaining feedback from people using the service and reviewing and checking care management and care standards.

Relatives, with whom we spoke, told us they had been involved with their member of family’s care plan and contributed to the information recorded. They told us that they were very happy with the care and support provided and that their member of family generally has the same carers providing support each visit. One relative told us that where they have had to have additional care and support provided as a result of an emergency situation, the service have responded accordingly. The relative told us “They have been excellent”.

The results of the quality assurance questionnaire in 2010 showed that people who use the service felt they were treated with respect and dignity. The majority of people confirmed that their needs were being met. Positive comments included “An excellent service”, “Very satisfied thank you” and Many thanks for all your help”.

People told us they knew how to make a complaint and that they felt able to express their views and concerns if the need arose. One relative told us that they felt able to discuss issues with care staff and member’s of the management team.