Helping Hands- 5 Towns is a domiciliary care agency registered to provide personal care. The agency provides support with personal care and domestic tasks. The agency office is based in Pontefract and support is currently provided to people living in their own homes in the local area. At the time of the inspection there was two people receiving a regulated activity.

Helping Hands- 5 Towns was registered with CQC in July 2017. The provider is registered as a specific individual and they have overall responsibility for the service. This was the service’s first inspection.

At this inspection we found the provider was in breach of two regulations.

Relatives and friends of people who used the service told us they felt people who received this service were safe. At the time of the inspection there were no recorded accidents or incidents. The management team knew how to identify and report suspected abuse and had clear systems in place which ensured safety and legal standards were met. People were happy with the support they received for medicines. However, systems which promoted safe medicine management were not yet established. Generally safe recruitment procedures were followed for all staff, though minor improvements were required with reference checks.

Feedback obtained during the inspection showed people received appropriate care and support. However, we found areas of risk which were not effectively managed or mitigated against, such as not always completing a relevant risk assessment when a risk had been identified. We have made a recommendation about the completion of risk assessments. Daily notes were completed after each visit, but the provider had no system to check daily logs to ensure staff delivered care in line with people’s care plans. We have made a recommendation about the checking of people’s daily logs.

Staff told us they felt supported by the provider. However, improvements were required to the training and supervision staff received. Feedback showed people’s support was provided by the same staff which promoted good continuity of care. The staff team were caring and promoted people’s independence. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. We saw care records contained limited details about people’s preferences for care and support. We have made a recommendation about recording people’s preferences for care when they reached the end stage of life.

During the inspection we received very positive feedback about the service. Relatives and friends of people who used the service said it was well-run and the staff were approachable and friendly. The provider had some systems in place to evaluate and improve the quality and safety of the services provided. However, they were not always sufficiently robust and had not identified some of the service’s shortfalls which are highlighted in the report findings. We have made a recommendation about the provider’s policies and procedures so that they cover all aspects of the service.