This inspection took place on 18 and 19 July 2018 and was announced. We gave the provider 24 hours’ notice of the inspection to ensure we could meet with staff and speak with people using the service in their own homes.

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats and specialist housing. It provides a service to older adults and younger disabled adults. On the day of our inspection there were 60 people receiving the regulated activity of personal care. This was the first inspection of the service since the registration of the service changed in 2017.

Not everyone using the service receives regulated activity; The Care Quality Commission (CQC) only inspects the service being received by people provided with 'personal care'; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also take into account any wider social care provided.

The service had a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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 registered manager had extensive experience of working in the social care sector.

Notifications of significant events were submitted to us in a timely manner by the registered manager.

Medicines administration was safe. This was regularly audited and staff competencies monitored by senior staff.

People were supported to take risks safely and personalised risk assessments were in place to ensure people were protected against a range of risks.

Staff had received safeguarding training and were able to describe types of abuse and what they would do to report concerns and protect people.

Staff recruitment was carried out safely with robust safety checks in place for new staff.

New staff received induction training and were accompanied and supported by dedicated mentors called ‘care coaches’ to enhance their induction and extend it if necessary.

People were supported to have choice and control over their own lives from being supported by person centred care. Person centred care is when the person is central to their support and their preferences are respected.

There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs safely, with travel time included and supervision checks undertaken to ensure staff completed care visits as agreed.

Staff were trained in safeguarding, first aid, moving and handling, the Mental Capacity Act, infection control and food hygiene. Additional training was in place or planned in areas specific to people’s individual needs.

Staff had a good knowledge of people’s likes, dislikes, preferences, mobility and communicative needs. People we spoke with gave us positive feedback regarding staff and how their needs were met.

People were supported to maintain their independence by staff that understood and valued the importance of this.

Care plans were sufficiently detailed and person-centred, giving members of staff and external professionals relevant information when providing care to people who used the service. Care plans were reviewed regularly with the involvement of people who used the service and their relatives.

The registered manager displayed a sound understanding of capacity and the need for consent on a decision-specific basis. Consent was documented in people’s care files and people we spoke with confirmed staff asked for their consent on a day to day basis.

Health care professionals, including GP, dietitians or specialist consultants were involved in people's care as and when this was needed and staff supported people with any appointments as necessary.

Staff, people who used the service, relatives and other professionals agreed that the registered manager led the service well and was approachab