Forget Me Not Care Limited provides a care at home service for adults in Westbury and the surrounding area of west Wiltshire. At the time of our inspection 58 people were receiving personal care from the service. The service was last inspected in January 2014 and was meeting all the standards that were assessed.

This inspection took place on 16 November 2016. This was an announced inspection which meant the provider knew two days before we would be visiting. This was because the location provides a home care service. We wanted to make sure the registered manager, or someone who could act on their behalf, would be available to support our inspection.

There was a registered manager in post 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Systems to support people with their medicines were not always clear and it was not always recorded what action had been taken if people had not taken their medication as it had been prescribed. It was not clear that the on-call manager had sought medical advice about the action to take following errors. The registered manager said medical advice had been sought, but this had not been recorded. As a result the registered manager had introduced new recording systems, which included details of who had been consulted and whether any further action was needed. Despite the lack of detail in plans, staff were able to consistently describe the support people needed with their medicines and how it was provided.

People who use the service and their relatives were positive about the care they received and praised the quality of the staff and management. Comments from people included, “They provide whatever care is needed. They are absolute gems”, “The carer has the right skills. She knows what she is doing and does it well” and “I feel extremely safe with staff in my home. They’re lovely”.

People told us they felt safe when receiving care and were involved in developing and reviewing their care plans. Systems were in place to protect people from abuse and harm and staff knew how to use them.

Staff understood the needs of the people they were providing care for. Staff were appropriately trained and skilled. They received a thorough induction when they started working for the service and demonstrated a good understanding of their role and responsibilities. Staff had completed training to ensure the care and support provided to people was safe and effective to meet their needs. Comments from staff included, “We don’t go out to people without knowing their needs” and “They make it clear that we need to be 100 per cent sure before going out to people”.

The service was responsive to people’s needs and wishes. People had regular meetings to provide feedback about their care and there was an effective complaints procedure. People and their relatives felt they could contact the office if needed and they also had contact numbers for out of office hours, in case of an emergency.

The provider regularly assessed and monitored the quality of the service provided. Feedback from people and their relatives was encouraged and was used to make improvements to the service.

We found that staff consulted with people who used the service or their advocates, in order to gain their consent. People's health and welfare needs were being met and they were happy with the support provided.

We found the management of medicines to be safe and appropriate to people's needs. Staff were competent and well supported by the management team.

The quality of the service was being monitored and systems were in place to manage risks to people's health, welfare and safety.

We visited the office of Forget Me Not, where we met with one of the owner/managers and the finance administrator. We spoke with four people who used the service and five staff during our inspection process.

People experienced care and support which was planned around their individual care needs. People told us they were involved in making decisions about their care. People told us that the service listened to them and they knew who to speak to if they had any concerns. People told us they liked the staff that came to their home and described having a good relationship with them. One person said “They are extremely nice and give a good service.”

We were told that the staff were usually on time and good at their job. People told us they would be phoned with an explanation if staff were ever delayed. These views were supported by the results of the annual service user satisfaction survey we saw, which said staff arrive on time or sometimes can be early.

Staff received training and guidance which helped to ensure they supported people safely. When people told us about the staff team their comments included "always been very happy with the service" and "they do a good job.” Staff said they felt supported by the managers and were regularly informed about any changes to the service.

The records held by the service in their offices and people’s own home were kept up to date. This helped and supported staff to give people using the service safe, personalised care.

We spoke to a number of people who use the service and to some relatives. Feedback was positive. One relative told us “they are absolutely splendid”. We also spoke to two healthcare professionals and three members of staff. They were also positive in their feedback. People said they felt safe with the agency’s staff visiting them in their homes.