This inspection took place between 24 and 30 January 2018. The agency provided 36 people with a domiciliary service, for approximately 347 hours a week. Domiciliary care is a service where people are provided with personal care in their own homes. Many of the people were older persons, some people also lived with long-term medical conditions. People received a range of different support. Some people needed frequent visits, including visits several times a day, this could include two members of staff and the use of equipment to support their mobility. Some people needed support with medicines and meals preparation. Services were provided to people who lived in the East Sussex town of Crowborough and the surrounding villages.

The service had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has been 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. The provider for the agency is Budden Care Ltd, this is their only registered service. The service is provided as part of a franchise for My Homecare Limited, a national provider of care.

This was the service’s first inspection since it was registered in February 2017. At this inspection, the service was rated as Good, with Requires Improvement under well-led.

Issues relating to the appropriate timing of visits to people, including travel time for staff between calls were identified. A phone app, used by staff and linked to the service’s computer system was in the process of being introduced which would enable analysis of such matters. Once these systems were fully operational, management would be able to review relevant information and identify areas for service improvement. There were also some issues relating to recording of certain information about people’s care needs. Some issues had been identified and improvements were being progressed. Other information would be improved once the phone app was fully operational and used by all staff.

People were safeguarded against risk, including risk of abuse. The registered manager performed a full assessment of people’s needs before they agreed to provide them with a service. People had relevant risk assessments completed. Where risk was identified care plans, which were regularly reviewed, were put in place to reduce risk. Staff knew about how to ensure people’s safety, including safety from risk of abuse. Where people used equipment, staff used it safely.

Where people needed support with medicines, this was done in a safe way. Staff completed relevant records about supporting people with medicines. These were regularly reviewed by management. Where people needed support to eat and drink, people had care plans, which staff followed, so their needs were met.

Staff understood the principals of prevention of risk of infection. Staff said they had ample supplies of items such as disposable gloves. Staff followed the provider’s policies and procedures when they were with people in their own homes.

There were enough staff to ensure people did not experience missed or shortened visits. Staff had been recruited in a safe way to ensure new members of staff were safe to support people.

Staff were supported by the agency so they had the skills they needed to meet their individual needs. This was through the provider’s ongoing induction and training programmes. The performance of staff was also regularly monitored, including when they worked with people in their own homes.

People were supported with accessing relevant external professionals, including their GPs and district nurses. People told us the agency supported them appropriately when they needed additional support, including in the event of an emergency.

Staff understood the importance of gaining people’s consent to car