The office inspection activity took place on 14 and 18 December 2017 and we carried out further checks on the service which included telephone calls to people using the service, their relatives and professionals which concluded on 12 January 2018. The inspection was announced. The provider was given 48 hours' notice of our inspection, because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be in the location's office when we visited.

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats and also in specialist housing (retirement living services). It provides a service to older adults. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

At the time of our inspection the service provided personal care to 121 people. Most people were living within one of four retirement living schemes, however a small number of people were supported in their own homes in the community.

The service had a registered manager. 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 saw that staff carried out support in a safe way whilst maintaining people’s independence and dignity. People’s risks were assessed, and people were kept safe as staff had a good understanding of the types of abuse and knew how to report suspected abuse.

People received their medicines safely. Medicine records were completed and staff understood the procedures they needed to follow when supporting people with their medicines.

People were involved in their care and consented to their plans of care. Where people were unable to make certain decisions, we saw that these were made in people’s best interests when they are unable to do this for themselves.

People told us staff supported them in a caring and kind and respectful way. They told us Staff supported them to make choices about their care.

People told us they knew how to complain and the provider had an effective system in place to investigate and respond to any concerns or complaints.

The provider promoted an open culture. Staff told us that the management were approachable and that they listened to them. People were encouraged to feedback their experiences and these were acted on to improve the quality of care provided.

We found that the registered manager had robust systems in place to monitor the quality of the service provided, and strived for continuous improvement.

This inspection took place on the 9 November 2015 was announced. This was the services first inspection since registration.

Care Plus provides personal care to people in their own homes. There were 104 people using the domiciliary care service with most people residing in four supported housing schemes, however a small proportion lived in the community.

There was a new manager in post and they were in the process of registering with us. 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.

Staff knew what constituted abuse and who they should report it to if they thought someone had been abused.

Risks to people were assessed and minimised through the effective use of risk assessment and staff knowledge of people and their risks. There were sufficient numbers of suitably trained staff to keep people safe. They had been employed using safe recruitment procedures.

Medication was administered by trained staff who had been assessed as competent prior to administering alone.

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) is designed to protect people who cannot make decisions for themselves or lack the mental capacity to do so. The provider worked within the guidelines of the MCA ensured that people consented to their care, treatment and support or were supported to consent with their representatives if they lacked capacity.

Care was personalised and met people’s individual needs and preferences. The provider had a complaints procedure and most people knew how to use it.

Staff were supported to fulfil their role effectively. There was a regular programme of training that was relevant to the needs of people, which was kept up to date.

People were supported to eat and drink sufficient to maintain a healthy lifestyle dependent on their specific needs.

When people became unwell staff responded and sought the appropriate support.

Staff were observed to be kind and caring. Staff felt supported and motivated to fulfil their role. They knew how to whistle blow and felt assured that their concerns would be taken seriously.

The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of the service. When improvements were required these were made in a timely manner.