Lotus Homecare Ltd is a domiciliary care agency (DCA) and it provides personal care to people living in their own homes. It provides a service to support people who require a range of personal and care support related to personal hygiene, mobility, nutrition and continence. Some people were living with early stages of a dementia type illness or other long-term health related condition. Most people lived reasonably independent lives but required support to maintain this independence. At the time of this inspection the service provided 1300 hours of personal care to 77 people. This is the first inspection of the service.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our visit. 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.

Feedback that we received from people and their representatives about staff and the service was very positive. People who used the service felt they were treated with kindness and said their privacy and dignity was respected. Staff had a good understanding of legislation designed to protect people's rights and were clear that people had the right to make their own choices.

Staff were involved and committed to achieving the service's values and vision. The service had systems to monitor and review the quality of the care provided. Most people told us they had continuity of care workers. They said staff always arrived on time and stayed for their allocated time. They told us staff always completed the tasks required of them along with any additional requests. People were supported by staff who demonstrated kindness and compassion.

Staff knew people well. They understood people's physical, social and emotional needs. Staff had a good understanding of the procedures to follow to safeguard people from the risk of abuse. Staff recruitment was thorough and there were enough staff employed with the right skills to meet people's needs.

Risk assessments were carried out in relation to people's homes and to their individual needs and actions were taken to mitigate any risks identified. Medicines were handled safely by staff who had been trained to do so.

Spot checks were carried out to monitor staff performance. Staff attended regular training to ensure they could meet people's needs. There was a thorough induction to the service and staff felt confident to meet people's needs before they worked independently. Staff felt supported by the managers and providers and could visit the office to discuss any matter that they wished. Staff told us they felt supported, listened to and valued.

The registered manager and providers had a good understanding of their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). The MCA and DoLS are regulations that have to be followed to ensure people who cannot make decisions for themselves are protected. They also ensured people were not having their freedom restricted or deprived unnecessarily.

Care plans provided comprehensive information about how people wished to receive care and support. These were reviewed and updated and reflected a person-centred approach to care. People were asked for their view on the service and support they received and were aware how to make a complaint. There was an open and positive culture at the service where people, relatives and staff felt listened to.