Keelby Community Cares is registered to provide personal care to people in their own homes. The service is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care and support services to people living in Lincolnshire. The service supports adults with a range of conditions including older people, physical disabilities and people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection, 11 people were using the service.

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 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 who used the service were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Staff had been trained to recognise the signs that could indicate abuse had occurred and knew what actions to take to ensure people were safe. Actions had been taken to mitigate known risks and specific plans had been developed for the management of emergency situations. Before staff supported people, appropriate checks had been completed to ensure they were suitable to work with adults at risk. People’s medicines were administered safely and as prescribed.

People were supported by staff who had completed a range of training and nationally recognised qualifications in health and social care. Staff told us they were supported in their roles and received effective levels of supervision and appraisal. Records showed consent was gained before care and support was delivered to people and the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 were followed when they lacked capacity to make informed decisions themselves. People were supported to eat a varied and balanced diet of their choosing. When concerns were identified, relevant professionals were contacted for their advice and guidance which was implemented into people’s care plans.

People told us they were supported by caring and attentive staff who knew their needs and understood their preferences. People received care from small teams of staff to ensure there was consistency and continuity in their care. People told us they were treated with dignity and respect by staff. Private and sensitive information was treated confidentially by staff and the registered provider ensured information was stored appropriately.

People or their appointed representatives were involved in the initial planning and on-going delivery of their care. Care plans and risk assessments were reviewed regularly and updated as people’s needs changed or developed. People who used the service told us they knew how to raise concerns and make complaints. We saw that when complaints were received, they were responded to appropriately and used to develop the service when possible.

Quality assurance systems had been developed to identify shortfalls in people’s care and ensured improvements were made in a timely way. People who used the service, their relatives and staff were asked to provide feedback on the service and their opinions were used to improve the service when possible. Staff told us the registered manager promoted an open culture and listened to their views. The registered manager understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to report accidents and incidents, as well as other notifiable events, to the Care Quality Commission as required.

Keelby Community Cares is registered to provide personal care to people. The service is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care and support services to people living in Lincolnshire. Services provided range from a few hours support several times a week, to 24 hour support every day. The service supports adults with a range of conditions including older people, physical disabilities and people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection the service was supporting over sixteen people.

The service was developed in response to the needs of isolated and vulnerable people in Keelby village and the surrounding area. Between 2012 and 2015 a dedicated team of independent professional carers delivered tailored person centred care. They developed a reputation for quality care in the local community where demand for their service s quickly outgrew their capacity. This led to the development of Keelby Community Cares which registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in the autumn of 2015.

This announced inspection took place on 20 and 22 May 2016 and this was the first inspection to take place since they registered with CQC.

We found improvements needed to be made to recruitment practices as three of the initial staff members had not had references taken up. All other employment checks had been completed to ensure staff were suitable to work with vulnerable people. We have made a recommendation about staff recruitment practices. The quality assurance system also needed further development to make sure the service completed regular audits to ensure practice was reviewed and remained safe and effective. We have made a recommendation about improving the quality assurance system.

People who used the service were protected from the risk of harm and abuse because staff had received safeguarding training and knew what action to take if they suspected abuse was occurring. People had risk assessments in place regarding their health and wellbeing and environment. This helped to keep all parties safe.

People's health needs were assessed and kept under review, where necessary. Staff received training in a variety of subjects which enabled them to support people safely and meet their assessed needs. Staff were supported with supervisions but these needed to be more structured and to include individual appraisals in order to help develop the staff’s practice and identify their learning needs. We have made a recommendation about improving the supervision and appraisal system.

Staff understood if people lacked capacity to make their own decisions then the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 must be followed.

Staff had completed an induction when they were first employed at the service and they were provided in sufficient numbers to support the needs of people currently using the service. Staff had completed a range of training in key areas which helped them to meet people's needs effectively.

Support plans detailed people's likes, dislikes and preferences for their care and support. Staff contacted relevant health care professionals for advice to help maintain people's wellbeing.

People told us staff treated them with respect and were kind and caring. Staff demonstrated they understood how to promote peoples independence whilst protecting their privacy and dignity.

Staff felt supported and listened to by the registered manager and the trustees. Staff attended regular team meetings to ensure they were included and updated about changes happening within the service.

The service had a complaints procedure in place and people felt they could raise concerns and they would be addressed efficiently.