We undertook an announced inspection of Care Concern (Homecare) Limited on 16 September 2016. We told the provider two working days before our visit that we would be coming because the location provided a domiciliary care service for people in their own homes and the manager and staff might be not be available.

Care Concern (Homecare) Limited provides a range of services to people in their own home including personal care. All the people using the service were older people, some of whom were living with the experience of dementia. At the time of our inspection 54 people were receiving personal care in their home and all were paying for their own care.

This was Care Concern (Homecare) Limited’s first inspection at this location since registering on 21 July 2014. Care Concern (Homecare) Limited is an independent provider which provides a homecare service to the elderly across Ealing, Acton, Chiswick and the surrounding areas. The provider was previously running at another location and had been operating since 1993.

There was a manager in post who was being registered with the Care Quality Commission at the time of our inspection. They had been working for the company since May 2005. 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. We received evidence that the manager's application had been successful two days after our inspection.

People told us that the care workers were extremely caring and communicated effectively with them, responded to their needs promptly and treated them with kindness and respect. The care workers knew people well and were exceptional at delivering care that made people feel valued. The service regularly went above and beyond the agreed care package to deliver sensitive and caring support to people. The provider and senior team were passionate about promoting person centred values as the basis of the service and ensured these were followed consistently by the care staff.

The whole staff team understood the importance of ensuring people's emotional needs were met as well as their physical needs. All the staff had been trained in end of life care to ensure they provided sensitive and compassionate care for people who were reaching the end of their life and a member of the senior team was scheduled to attend a ‘train the trainer’ course in this subject in October 2016. A recently bereaved relative told us their family member had received an ‘excellent service’ and had been treated with care and compassion.

People received care that was responsive to their individual needs. People told us that the care they received was "Brilliant". They were involved in developing care plans that reflected their needs and their preferences and care workers were skilled in delivering their care in the way they preferred.

The service was exceptionally well led. One person told us "They are absolutely brilliant! I wish I had switched to them earlier.” The provider and the senior team were proactive in keeping up to date with relevant best practice guidance in person centred care and the care of people living with the experience of dementia. They encouraged and enabled the care staff to improve their knowledge and skills on an ongoing basis.

People’s needs were met in a safe way. Care workers had received training in the safeguarding of vulnerable people. They knew how to recognise signs of abuse and how to report any concerns.

Risks to people's wellbeing were assessed and action taken to reduce these. The service focused on keeping people safe whilst promoting their independence.

People were supported to manage their medicines in a safe way. Staff responded quickly to changes in people's health and worked with other health care prof