This was our first inspection of Helping Hands Leicester. The visit was announced and was carried out on 8 January 2018. The provider was given notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service. We needed to be sure that someone would be in the office.

Helping Hands Leicester provided domiciliary care and support to people living in and around the town of Birstall, Leicestershire. At the time of our inspection there were 57 people, known as customers, using the service.

A registered manager was in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.

People told us they felt safe using Helping Hands Leicester and felt safe with the support workers who supported them. Their relatives agreed with what they told us.

The staff team knew what to look out for and the procedure to follow if they felt someone was at risk of avoidable harm or abuse. A safeguarding procedure was in place and training in the safeguarding of adults had been provided.

The management team were aware of their responsibilities for keeping people safe from harm and knew to report any concerns to the local authority and CQC.

Risks associated with peoples care and support had been identified and appropriately managed.

Plans of care had been developed for the people using the service and these included their likes and dislikes and personal preferences. The staff team knew the needs of the people they were supporting.

Checks had been carried out for people wishing to join the staff team. Once employed, support workers had been provided with an induction into the service and appropriate training had been completed.

People told us there were enough staff members to meet their current needs. However some people experienced calls that were not carried out at the times agreed with themselves and the management team. The registered manager was is the process of streamlining the calls to address this issue.

The staff team had received training in the management of medicines and people were supported with their medicines as prescribed by their doctor and in line with the provider’s medicines policy.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The staff team had received training on the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and always obtained people's consent before they provided their care and support. The management team and the support workers we spoke with understood the principles of the MCA.

The staff team felt supported by the registered manager and the management team. They explained they were given the opportunity to meet with them regularly and there was always someone available to talk to if they had any concerns or suggestions of any kind.

The staff team were kind and caring. People told us they were treated with respect and their dignity maintained when receiving their care and support.

People using the service and their relatives told us they knew what to do if they were unhappy with the service they received. People had received a copy of the provider’s complaints process when they had first started using the service.

People using the service and their relatives had the opportunity to share their views on the service they received. This was through visits to people’s homes, telephone conversations and through the use of annual surveys. The staff team also had an opportunity to share their thoughts of the service. This was through attendance at team meetings and individual supervision meetings with a member of the management team.

The registered manager and the management team monitored