About the service: Kare Plus Redbridge is a domiciliary care agency which provides personal care to people in their own homes. The service is based in Ilford, Essex and 83 people were using the service at the time of our inspection.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

People’s experience of using this service:

¿People and their relatives were happy with the service they received. The care people received was safe. People had regular care staff who arrived on time.

¿Risks to people had been identified and assessed, which provided information to staff on how to reduce these risks to keep people safe.

¿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.

¿People and relatives received support from staff who were kind and caring. People’s needs were met and their privacy and dignity was respected. Their independence was promoted by staff.

¿Care plans were person centred and people were supported to maintain their nutrition and hydration. They were supported to see health professionals and were prompted to take their medicines from staff who were trained. Any complaints or concerns people had were investigated by the provider.

¿Staff were supported and told us they had received training and development for their roles. Staff were recruited safely and received an induction prior to starting work.

¿The provider had quality assurance systems to ensure the service was operating effectively. The registered manager was committed to developing the service and making improvements when required. They learned lessons when things had gone wrong to minimise re-occurrence.

Rating at last inspection:

At the last inspection the service was rated ‘Good‘ (report published 5 September 2016) and has remained the same at this inspection.

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor the service to ensure that people receive safe, compassionate, high quality care. A further inspection will be planned for a future date.

This inspection took place on 29 June 2016. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service in people’s own homes and we needed to be sure that someone would be available to assist with the inspection. Kare Plus Redbridge provides personal care and support to people living in east London. At the time of our inspection, approximately 19 people were using the service. It was the first inspection since the service registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in July 2013. The service moved to a new location in December 2015.

The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered care homes, 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.

Systems were in place to ensure people were protected from the risk of abuse, however, the service’s safeguarding procedures required updating to ensure compliance with current guidance. Staff were aware of the different types of abuse and how to respond. People had their individual risks assessed and staff were aware of the plans to manage the risks. People received care at home from staff who understood their needs. People received their prescribed medicines safely, which were administered by staff who had received training to do this.

Care workers had been recruited following appropriate checks and the provider had sufficient staff available to provide support to people. People told us they received support from care workers who understood their preferences and encouraged them to remain as independent as possible. They were listened to by care workers and were involved in making decisions about their care and support. People were supported to meet their nutritional needs.

Care workers received essential training in a number of topics that were important for them to be able to carry out their roles. Staff told us that they received support and encouragement from the registered manager and were provided opportunities to develop in their roles. Staff were confident that any concerns raised would be addressed. People and their relatives also felt able to talk to the registered manager or the office manager and said that any issues were dealt with quickly.

Care staff ensured people were treated with privacy and dignity. People and their relatives were encouraged to express their views and give feedback about their care. They told us they felt confident they could raise any issues and that action would be taken.

The registered manager was committed to developing the service and monitoring the quality of care provided to people. The service was overseen by a senior person, also known as the responsible individual who ensured that regular checks were completed and looked at where improvements could be made.

We have made a recommendation to the service, which is detailed in the report.