The inspection was announced and took place on 13 February 2017. Libra Care provides personal care to people in their own homes. Some people might have been living with a diagnosis of dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 70 people receiving support from the service.

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 and their relatives were extremely positive about the care provided by the service and said that they felt safe with all the staff who supported them. Staff recognised how to identify the signs of potential abuse and knew the reporting system to keep people safe. Risks to people were assessed and reviewed regularly to ensure care remained appropriate for people’s needs. There were sufficient numbers of trained staff who had the appropriate recruitment checks to ensure they were suitable for their role. Staff arrived on time for their visits and the right numbers of staff were available to provide the support people needed. People received their medicines as prescribed by staff who had been assessed as competent to give people’s medicines safely.

A thorough recruitment and induction process was completed by the provider to ensure people were supported by staff who had the skills and knowledge to care for them. People were involved in all decisions about how they wanted their care and support needs met. Staff ensured people consented to the care they received and were aware of how to respect people’s choices and rights. People were supported to have sufficient to eat and drink and were encouraged to have a balanced diet.

People constantly referred to staff and the provider as being kind, caring and considerate. People felt listened to and respected by staff. They said staff went above and beyond to what was expected from them. Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity. People were supported to access healthcare services when required.

People were encouraged to give their feedback and views about the quality of the service they received. Communication systems used to share information about people’s care and support needs were effective. Care records were personalised, regularly reviewed and updated to ensure they were reflective of people’s needs. There was a system in place to record and investigate complaints and we saw any concerns were dealt with appropriately.

People felt the service was very well run and the management team very friendly and approachable. Leadership within the service was strong and an open and positive culture was promoted. Staff felt listened to and said they were confident in their roles and were aware of their responsibilities. Quality audit processes were in place and completed regularly to monitor the quality of the service provided. People were happy to recommend the service to family and friends based on their own experiences.