The inspection took place on 19 and 26 June 2018 and was announced. This was the first rated inspection for this service.

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It currently provides a service to 39 older adults in the Southport area.

There was registered manager 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 2008 and associated regulations about how the service is run.

People’s needs were assessed and recorded by suitably qualified and experienced staff. Care and support were delivered in line with current legislation and best practice. Risk assessments and support plans had been completed for everyone who was receiving care to help ensure people's needs were met and to protect people from the risk of harm.

People's preferences had been recorded in respect of personal care routines, getting up and going to bed and likes and dislikes for food and drinks. Allergies and other medical information was also recorded.

Staff had been appropriately checked when they were recruited to ensure they were suitable to work with vulnerable adults. The service ensured that staff were trained to a high standard in appropriate subjects. Staff understood how to recognise abuse and how to report concerns or allegations. The records we saw indicated that medicines were administered correctly and were subject to regular audit.

There were appropriate numbers of staff employed to meet the needs of people who received a service and to ensure they received the support at a time when they needed it. Everyone said the visits by the care staff were on time and staff always stayed for the allocated time.

Policies and procedures provided guidance to staff regarding expectations and performance. These included policies regarding people’s diversity. Staff were clear about the need to support people’s rights and needs regarding equality and diversity.

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. We saw clear evidence of staff working effectively to deliver positive outcomes for people. People we reviewed were receiving effective care and gave positive feedback regarding staff support.

People told us that staff treated them with kindness and respect. Care was provided in accordance with people’s needs.

People using the service and staff were asked to share their views. This was achieved through contact by the care coordinator staff and regular surveys. These provided very positive responses regarding people’s care.

We checked the records in relation to concerns and complaints. The complaints process was understood by the people that we spoke with. We saw evidence that complaints had been responded to in a professional and timely manner by the Home Care manager.

People spoke positively about the management of the service and the approachability of senior staff. There was clear management structure that supported staff.