We undertook an announced inspection of Invicta 24 Plus on 30 November and 6 December 2016. We told the provider two working days before our visit that we would be coming because the location provided a domiciliary care service for people in their own homes and the manager and staff might otherwise not be available.

Invicta 24 Plus is a domiciliary care agency located in the London borough of Croydon. It provides personal and practical care to a range of people living in their own homes mainly in the Bromley area. Those receiving care had various needs including people living with dementia. Forty people were using the service at the time of our inspection. At the previous inspection in August 2015 the service was meeting all the regulations we inspected it against. At this inspection we found no breach in regulations but we identified some shortfalls in recruitment procedures.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our 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 were positive about the care they received, and told of a reliable service, they received their home visit calls at the time agreed. People felt safe. The agency had procedures in place to identify and manage appropriately risks associated with people’s care needs within their home environment. The service developed care plans and arranged for suitably skilled care workers to deliver care and support in response to these. Care staff understood the needs of the people they were supporting. They knew how to recognise the signs of abuse and how to report any concerns.

Recruitment processes had some shortfalls and required improvements when the service was taking up staff references. Induction training and support was provided to new staff. The agency had sufficient numbers of suitably skilled staff to care for people. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities and the codes of practice that needed to be observed. Management made sure staff were suitably trained and competent, overseeing staff practice that ensured staff followed this guidance.

The agency had procedures in place to ensure that people were supported with their medicines safely which staff followed. People were protected against the risk and spread of infection as staff were trained. They used protective clothing supplied and followed infection control measures.

Staff asked for people’s consent before delivering care. People and their relatives where appropriate were involved in planning their care, people were in control of the care they received. Staff understood the provisions of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and how it applied to people they cared for.

People told us staff treated them with respect and kindness. People’s healthcare needs were met; care staff liaised with relevant health professionals to help promote their health and wellbeing. Staff ensured people were encouraged to eat a balanced diet and summoned appropriate intervention if there were any concerns. Regular checks were carried out to ensure staff practice promoted people’s health and well-being.

The service had a manager who inspired and led staff to deliver a service of high quality. The provider had systems in place to help ensure the safety and quality of the service provided and monitor the service.

The inspection took place on 5 and 25 August 2015. Invicta 24 Plus is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal and practical care to people living in their own homes in the London Boroughs of Bromley and Bexley. The agency was registered in February 2015, and this was the first inspection of the service. 12 people were using the service at this time.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our 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 were positive about the care they received, and told of a reliable service and of receiving their home visit calls on time as agreed. People felt safe. The agency had procedures in place to identify and manage appropriately risks associated with people’s care needs and within their home environment. The service developed appropriate care plans and arranged the care and support in response to these. There was clear guidance placed in the person’s home for staff to follow to ensure people remained safe. Management observed practice and ensured staff followed this guidance.

The agency had systems in place which helped to protect people from abuse and harm and staff knew how to use them. Staff understood the needs of the people they were supporting. They knew how to recognise the signs of abuse and how to report any concerns. Appropriate vetting checks were carried out on staff before they were employed to make sure they were suitable for their roles. Staff received an induction before they began to work with people and were provided with on-going training and support to give them the skills and knowledge to care for people effectively.

The agency had sufficient numbers of suitably skilled staff to care for people. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities and the codes of practice that needed to be observed. Care workers were supported by the management team through team meetings, supervision and spot checks.

There were procedures in place to ensure that people were supported with their medicines safely which staff consistently followed. People were protected against the risk and spread of infection as staff were trained and followed infection control measures. Staff asked for people’s consent before delivering care. People and relatives where appropriate were involved in planning their care, people were in control of the care they received. Staff understood the provisions of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and how it applied to people they cared for.

People told us staff treated them with respect and kindness. People’s healthcare needs were met; care staff liaised with relevant health professionals to help promote their health and wellbeing. Staff ensured people were encouraged to eat a balanced diet and summoned appropriate intervention if there were any concerns. Regular checks were carried out to ensure staff practice promoted people’s health and well-being.

The registered manager understood what was required to provide good quality care and was committed to achieving the best for the people that used the service. There were systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of care people received and drive improvements, these were consistently applied by staff.