This was an announced inspection that took place on 8 March 2017.

Caring First Homecare Ltd (Norwich) registered with us in 2015. It is a service that provides personal care to people in their own homes. This was our first inspection of the service and eight people at the time were receiving care and support from the service.

There was a registered manager working for the service. They were also the sole director of the provider company. 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 and associated Regulations about how the home is run.

Through good training and leadership, people received care from staff who were kind, polite and compassionate. Staff were given the time by the provider to develop caring relationships with people.

People valued the visits from staff. They felt they mattered, were listened to and respected. The staff took action to reduce the risk of people experiencing social isolation and provided them with information and guidance in relation to organisations and places that people could join or attend.

People were treated with dignity and respect and felt in control of their own care. They could make their own decisions in relation to how they wanted to be cared for and these were respected and met by the staff. People’s preferences in how they wanted their care to be delivered were also being met.

The provider had ensured there were enough staff working for the service to meet the needs of the people they supported. These staff had received sufficient training and supervision to make sure that people were safe when staff were with them and that they received good quality care.

People who required help with their medicines received these when they needed them. The staff assessed risks to people’s safety and took actions to reduce these as much as possible. This included protecting people from the risk of abuse.

Where it was part of a person’s care package, the staff prepared food and drink to people’s preferences and likes. They also supported people with their healthcare needs.

The provider and staff regularly monitored and reviewed the quality of care being provided. People and staff’s feedback was often sought. Where any shortfalls had been identified or suggestions had been made for improvement, action had been taken. The provider was continually looking at ways to improve the quality of care they gave to people to enhance their wellbeing and quality of life.

Good leadership and direction was provided to the staff and there was an open, caring culture at the service. The provider had instilled this culture within their team which put people’s welfare and needs at the heart of the service. The staff were happy working for the service. They felt valued, supported and listened to.