This was the first inspection of Aquaflo Care Ltd situated in Croydon. The inspection took place on 8 May 2017 and was announced. We told the provider two days before our visit that we would be coming. We did this because the managers are sometimes out of the office supporting staff or visiting people and we needed to be sure that they would be in. Aquaflo Care Ltd. provides personal care for adults and older people who live in their own homes. At the time of our inspection 63 people were using the service.

The service did not have a registered manager in post. An acting manager was fulfilling this role. 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.

We were informed that an application for a temporary registered manager had been made. However, this application had been made by a different person than the person who had been acting as manager and there has been no registered manager for six months.

People told us they felt safe using Aquaflo Care Ltd and felt that staff knew how to protect people from the risk of harm. Staff were aware of each person’s individual needs and people felt that staff were suitably skilled at their job.

The service had appropriate safeguarding adults procedures in place and staff had a clear understanding of these procedures. There was a whistle-blowing procedure available and staff said they would use it if they needed to. Procedures were in place to support people where risks to their health and welfare had been identified. Appropriate recruitment checks took place before staff started work.

Staff understood the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and understood issues of consent and acting in people’s best interests. Staff had completed an induction when they started work and they had received training relevant to the needs of people using the service.

The care service provided people with appropriate information about the service. People and their relatives said staff were kind and caring and their privacy and dignity was respected. People were consulted about their care and support needs and care plans were in place that provided information for staff on how to support people to meet their needs.

Care records focused on the person and were updated according to any changes in people’s health and well-being. People were supported to have their health needs met.

People told us they were involved in decisions about their care and were sometimes contacted by the service by telephone or visited by a member of the office team.

The acting manager provided leadership and encouraged an open and transparent culture amongst staff. The provider had a number of audits and quality assurance systems to help them understand the quality of the care and support people received and look at ways to continually improve the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.