About the service:

•Care Wyvern provides a domiciliary care service to people who live in their own homes. The registered manager and designated administrative staff are based at the agency's office. Care Wyvern is classed as a small agency which means that it provides support with personal care to no more than 100 people. At the time of this inspection the agency was providing support with personal care to 41 people.

Rating at last inspection:

•At the last inspection the service was rated Good. (3 September 2016)

Why we inspected:

•This inspection was a scheduled inspection based on the previous rating.

People’s experience of using this service:

•There were two registered managers 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.

•People told us they felt safe and supported by staff who visited them. Staff were mostly punctual and consistent at carrying out visits with people in a person-centred manner.

•One person told us, “Whenever possible, they are on time, they always phone before if there’s any problem. If I need to change a time, I usually phone before and ask. If it’s not possible I change/cancel the care visit.” People were supported to continue living at home in a way that enabled them to be as independent as possible.

•Staff were trained and supported to be effective carers in a collaborative team. Where needed, staff were quick to support people to have access to health care professionals such as GPs, dentist and opticians or, when necessary, emergency services. One relative told us, “We would recommend them, they really care about the people.”

•People and relatives described staff as caring and kind towards them. Staff were approachable and friendly with people they cared for and knew them well.

•Care plans were created with people and relatives to ensure they were person centred and tailored to peoples’ needs and routines.

•The service was well managed by a supportive and progressive management team. People, staff and relatives were involved in helping the service improve.

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

Follow up:

•We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

The provider's website address showing on this report is incorrect and should read www.carewyvern.co.uk

This inspection was announced and took place on 7 and 8 June 2016. We gave the provider short notice of the inspection as we needed to make sure they were available so that we were able to access records, talk to staff and gain permission from people who used the agency to visit or telephone them.

Care Wyvern provides a domiciliary care service to people who live in their own home. The registered manager and designated administrative staff are based at the agency's office. Care Wyvern is classed as a small agency which means that it provides support with personal care to

no more than 100 people.

The last inspection of the service was carried out in May 2013. No concerns were identified with the care being provided to people at that inspection.

At the time of this inspection the agency was providing support with personal care to 40 people.

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.

People and their relatives were very complimentary about the quality of the service provided and of the management and staff team. One person said “They [the staff] are just marvellous. They are kind and very caring. They would honestly do anything for you.” Another person said “The carers, the office staff, [name of registered manager] and [name of provider] are all very kind. I can only describe it as a very caring agency.”

People had consistent staff that they were able to build trusting relationships with. This ensured people received care from a small number of staff who they got to know well. This aspect of the service was very much valued by people.

Care was planned and delivered in a way that was personalised to each person. Staff monitored people’s healthcare needs and, where changes in needs were identified, care was adjusted to make sure people continued to receive care which met their needs and supported their independence.

Staff were well trained and people were confident they had the skills to meet their needs.

One person said “I have a regular carer who is just brilliant. She really knows what she is doing. She knows what needs to be done and how to help me.” Another person said “I have complete confidence in my carers. The training they get must be good because they all know what they are doing.”

The agency had a robust recruitment procedure that ensured staff were thoroughly checked before they began work. Staff knew how to recognise signs of abuse and all said they were confident that any issues raised would be appropriately addressed by the registered manager. People felt safe with the staff who supported them.

There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and plan on-going improvements. People using the service and staff felt involved and able to make suggestions or raise concerns.

With their consent we spoke on the telephone with five people who used the service and a relative. People told us that they were treated with respect by the staff who supported them. Comments included “I need help to shower and the staff are so respectful. There is no invasion of my privacy and they always knock on my bedroom door before they come in” and “all the staff are very polite and they are always very smart.”

We looked at three care plans. These were personalised to the individuals and gave details about their preferences as well as their physical or health needs. The people we spoke with told us that staff stayed for the allocated time and made sure

that they received the care they needed. Comments included “they are rarely late and they do everything I ask. I never feel rushed” and “the staff are always so willing. They never make me feel that I am a nuisance.”

The service had policies and procedures for staff about recognising and reporting abuse and whistle blowing. All staff spoken with were aware of issues of abuse and knew how to report any worries or concerns. We looked at the personnel files for five members of staff. These showed that the agency had followed robust recruitment procedures which meant that risks to people who used the service were minimised.

There were systems in place which monitored and improved the quality of the service provided. The views of people who used the service were encouraged and responded to.