This inspection took place on 31 August 2016 and was announced. We gave the provider 48 hours' notice of our visit because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to make sure there would be someone at the office at the time of our visit.

Grace Care UK is registered to provide personal care. The registered location is situated in Leicester and provides care to people who live in their own homes in and around Leicester and Leicestershire. There were six people using this service at the time of our inspection.

The service had a registered manager who was also the registered provider. 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.

This was our first inspection of this service since they registered with us.

People were kept safe from the risk of harm. Staff knew how to recognise signs of abuse and who to raise concerns with. People had assessments in relation to their care and safety which identified actions staff needed to take to protect them from risks. People were supported to take their medicines safely.

People were supported by the number of staff identified as necessary in their care plans to keep them safe. There were robust recruitment and induction processes in place to ensure new members of staff were suitable to support the people who used the service.

Staff undertook a range of training to give them the skills and knowledge to ensure people were supported in line with their care needs. Staff told us they felt supported and were in regular contact with the registered manager who supported them to meet people's care needs.

Staff we spoke with had a good understanding of the key principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People told us staff asked their consent before providing care. People and relatives spoke positively about the food that staff prepared for them. Staff worked with other health and social professionals to ensure that people received the health care they needed.

Positive and complimentary comments were received from people and relatives about the staff that supported them. People told us they made decisions about how they wanted their care to be provided. Staff were knowledgeable about people's likes and dislikes. Staff maintained people's privacy and dignity whilst supporting them to remain as independent as possible.

The registered manager was responsive to people's needs and changing views. Personalised care plans were in place to enable staff to provide care the way that people preferred. Staff took the time to develop relationships with people they were supporting. People felt they could speak with staff and the registered manager about their concerns or complaints and that they would be listened to.

People and their relatives were confident in how the service was led and the abilities of the registered manager. The registered manager consulted with people to find out their views on the care provided. There were systems in place for audit and quality assurance but these required further development to evidence how the provider used audits and feedback to drive improvement and develop the service.