The inspection was carried out on 14 December 2016 and was announced.

Home Instead is a national franchise. A franchise is when a franchisee (the provider) has bought the right to sell a specific company's (the franchisor's) products in a particular area using the company's name. Home Instead Senior Care Shrewsbury, Ludlow and Oswestry is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care and support to people in their own homes. At the time of our visit the agency was providing a service to 43 people however, only 18 people were receiving the regulated activity of personal care. The frequency of visits and duration across the service varied dependent on people’s needs.

There was a registered manager in post who was present during the inspection. 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 felt safe and comfortable with the care and support provided by staff. People received support when they needed from regular care staff who provided consistent support. The provider assessed and planned their staffing requirements based upon people's individual care and support needs.

People were protected from the risk of harm and abuse by staff who were knowledgeable about the different signs of abuse and knew how to report concerns. The provider completed checks on new staff to ensure they were suitable to work with people in their own homes.

Risks associated with people’s needs and their environment were assessed and guidelines put in place for staff to support them safely. Accident were appropriately recorded and action taken to prevent them happening again.

People received support to take their medicines as prescribed and accurate records were maintained. Staff monitored people’s health and arranged health care appointments when required.

People were supported by staff who had the necessary skills and knowledge to meet their needs. Staff were positive about the training opportunities offered and the support they received to fulfil their roles. Staff felt valued and listened to.

Staff sought people’s consent before supporting them and provided people with information in way they could understand to enable them to make decisions for themselves.

People were pleased with the care and support they received. People felt staff were kind and caring and had built positive relationships with them. People were given choice and felt involved in decisions about their care and supported. Staff treated people with dignity and respect.

People’s received care and support that was personal to them and took into account their preferences and routines. People were supported by staff that knew them well and were able to respond to changes in their needs in a timely manner.

People and their relatives were encouraged to give their views on the quality of the care and support provided. People felt able to raise complaints and were confident that any concerns would be dealt with promptly.

The registered manager had a clear vision for the service which was shared and worked towards by staff. There was an open and inclusive culture where the registered manager encouraged and respected the views of people, their relatives and staff.

The registered manager was committed to delivering good quality care and had a range of checks in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service. They used their finding to make improvements to the service.