The inspection took place on 10 June 2016. We gave the service a few days’ notice to ensure someone would be in the office to facilitate the inspection. The service was last inspected in February 2014 when they were meeting all regulations reviewed.

Carelink Community Service Ltd is a private domiciliary care agency which is currently providing care and domestic services for people in their own home. The agency operates from a residential house in the Heaton area of Bolton.

There was a registered manager at the service. 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 service had a robust recruitment process to help ensure new employees were suitable for their role.

Appropriate individual and environmental risk assessments were in place and were reviewed and updated regularly.

There were appropriate safeguarding processes and staff were aware of how to report concerns. There was also a system for reporting accidents and incidents.

Staff undertook a thorough induction programme before commencing work and training was on-going and included refresher courses for mandatory training. Supervisions were undertaken regularly and appraisals undertaken annually.

The service was working within the legal requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) (MCA).

People who used the service were encouraged to be as independent as possible. People’s human rights, dignity and privacy were promoted.

Information was produced for people who used the service and their relatives.

The care plan we looked at was person-centred and included personal preferences, wishes and needs. We saw that people were supported to pursue their own interests and hobbies.

There was an appropriate complaints policy which was clearly outlined within the service user guide.

Spot checks were regularly carried out on staff to ensure they were carrying out their duties appropriately.

Service user satisfaction surveys were sent out regularly to help ensure the quality and continual improvement of care delivery.

Carelink Community Services had only one person currently accessing the service, this was the same person we spoke with last time we inspected so we have not spoken to them again. We have taken their comments from the twice yearly service user feedback forms they had completed.

We found the service fully involved people in the planning of their care and included their social preferences when planning the time they would assist the person.

We found the service had upto date person centred care plans which were updated annually or as needs changed. These records were paper based and held in the persons home with records being returned to the office on a regular basis for archiving.

There were only three staff currently employed by the service and we looked at the recruitment of the most recent member of staff and checked the personal files of the other two employees.

We found the service had procedures and policies in place to ensure the quality of the service. Carelink Community Services had a robust complaints policy and process however they had had no complaints in recent months for us to track.

Service user feedback forms told us that the person who was currently being supported by the service was happy with the way their care was delivered and that the staff were always on time and professional in their manner.

At the time of the inspection Carelink Community service was providing support to one person in their own home. We found the service had one employee and was currently recruiting another person to support the service.

We found that the service provided both personal and domestic support to people using the service.

The service user did not wish to speak to us.

We spoke with the member of staff and found he felt he was supported and enjoyed his job.

In the interim period whilst recruitment was ongoing the manager was including in supporting the care offered to the person who used the service.

Staff we spoke to told us; "I know my manager is there to discuss issues with if I need to". "I enjoy my job very much".

During our visit we were shown the results of the latest satisfaction questionnaire. This was completed in January 2012. Some of the comments included:

“The carers carry out their duties well and have a good attitude”.

“They are good at arriving on time”.

“They provide a good service”.

“The carers are good at their job”