This inspection took place on 11 December 2018 and was announced. This was the first inspection of the service since the provider registered with the Care Quality Commission in January 2018.

The Social Care - London Ltd is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. It provides a personal service to both older adults and younger disabled adults. At the time of our inspection 12 people were using the service.

The service has a registered manager in post. 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.

Staff were trained to protect people from abuse and knew how to report suspected abuse. The registered manager understood their responsibilities to respond to allegations of abuse appropriately. Risks to people were assessed and management plans put in place to mitigate identified risks. Staff were sufficient and adequately deployed to support people with their needs. People received the support they needed to manage their medicines safely. Staff followed procedures to minimise the risk of infection. The service had systems in place to report incidents and accidents and staff knew about them. The registered manager reviewed incidents and took action to prevent them from happening again.

Needs assessments were conducted involving people, their relatives and other professionals where necessary. Care plans were developed to meet people’s needs and requirements. Staff were supported to do their jobs through regular training and supervision. Staff supported people to meet their nutritional needs and requirements. People were supported to access the health care services they needed to maintain their health. The service had systems in place to ensure people received well-coordinated care.

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. Staff and the registered manager understood their roles and responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. Staff involved people in their care delivery and ensured people consented before care was delivered.

People told us that staff treated them with kindness. People’s needs, preferences and choices were considered when planning their care. Staff respected people’s dignity and privacy. People were encouraged to maintain their independence as much as possible.

Staff supported people in a way which met their individual needs. Care plans were reviewed regularly to reflect people’s current needs. Staff respected people’s cultural, religious and belief systems. At the time of our visit no one was receiving end of life care. Training record showed that some members of staff had received end of life training and the registered manager told us they would work closely with other professionals to meet people’s need.

People knew how to report their concerns or complaints about the service. The registered manager knew to address complaints in line with their procedure. The quality of the service was regularly assessed and monitored through spot checks and audits.

The service had a registered manager who complied with the requirements of their registration. The service had a business development strategy and a business continuity plan in place which set out how the service would develop, achieve positive outcomes for people and manage unforeseeable situations. The service worked in partnership with the local authority and other local organisations to develop the service and meet people’s needs.