This inspection took place between 24 January 2018 and 02 February 2018. We gave the provider 48 hours' notice of our visit. This was because the service provides domiciliary care to people living in their own homes and we wanted to make sure staff would be available. This was the first inspection of the service since it was registered in March 2017.

Caremark (Harlow & Epping Forest) is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people in their own home. At the time of our inspection, 11 people received personal care from the agency.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of the inspection. 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 receiving a service told us they felt safe and relatives believed their family members were kept safe. They said they had not had any missed calls, and usually received care from staff they knew well. The provider had systems to safeguard people from harm and abuse. Care workers completed safeguarding training and knew how to report any concerns. Risks to people had been assessed and reviewed regularly to ensure people's individual needs were being met safely.

Staffing levels were managed in a way to ensure staff were available to provide a consistent service to meet the needs of people who lived in their own homes. The provider had systems in place to ensure suitable staff were recruited for the role. Where people needed support with their medicines, the registered manager ensured they received these as prescribed and safely.

Staff were aware of the importance of seeking consent from people they supported and demonstrated an understanding of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. Staff received appropriate induction and training to equip them to support people well. The registered manager carried out an assessment of needs before people started using the service. People were supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts for their wellbeing. The registered manager liaised with organisations such as the local authority and the NHS when needed. People were supported to access healthcare services when they needed it. Staff would provide people with meals of their choice.

People's feedback about their experience of the service was positive. People said staff treated them respectfully and asked them how they wanted their care and support to be provided. People told us they had their care visits as planned. Staff were described as kind and caring by people who used the service.

When people’s needs changed, staff would notify the registered manager and communicate with other health professionals in order to ensure people received the right care and treatment. People received care from staff they knew. The service provided appropriate information to people when they started using the service to ensure they were aware of the standard of support they should expect.

People told us they knew who to complain to, minor issues were recorded but not in a format that could identify patterns or trends to promote continuous improvement.

The registered manager was visible and approachable. Quality assurance systems needed to be more robust to help ensure the registered manager could identify and make improvements to the service. However, this was not currently impacting on the service provided to people.

We have made recommendations about the management of complaints and the introduction of a more robust quality assurance process.