This service is a domiciliary care agency. Caring Support is a charitable co-operative society that provides personal care for people in their own homes. At the time of our inspection 20 people were receiving services from the agency and were either privately funded, helped with the cost of care through direct payments from the local authority or through continuing care funded by the NHS. Not everyone using Caring Support received a regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.

This announced inspection took place on 2 July 2018. We gave the provider 48 hours' notice of the inspection visit because the registered manager could be out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be available.

This was the first inspection since the provider moved locations in July 2017. At the providers last inspection in February 2016, at their previous location the provider was rated Good overall. At this inspection we found some improvements were required.

There was a registered manager in place. 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.

Basic risk assessments were in place but sometimes these were not updated when new risks occurred. Not all risk assessments were person centred around individual needs so staff did not always have detailed guidance to keep people safe.

When people had accidents or incidents these were not always available for the registered manager to review or identify new risks to people. The registered manager did not always have the information they needed to make sure people were safe.

There were processes in place to help make sure people were protected from the risk of abuse. Staff were aware of safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures and understood how to safeguard the people they supported. Staff were up to date with training and the service followed appropriate recruitment practices.

Staff knew the people they were supporting well. People and their relatives were involved in their care plans. These focused on people as individuals and gave clear information and guidance to staff about how they would like their care delivered.

People were happy with their care and liked the staff that supported them, they told us staff were caring and respectful. Staff explained the methods they used to help maintain people’s privacy and dignity. The registered manager tried to keep the same staff with people so they had continuity of care.

People were asked about their food and drink choices and staff prepared and cooked meals for people when required. People were supported to take their medicine when they needed it.

People told us they would complain if they needed to, but most had never needed to. Everyone we spoke with knew who the manager was and felt comfortable speaking with her about any problems.

People were contacted regularly to make sure they were happy with the service. Senior staff carried out spot checks to review the quality of the care provided.

We made one recommendation about mental capacity assessments. We found two breaches of regulations in relation to safe and good governance. You can see what action we asked the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.