This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own house. 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. When we inspected there were 25 people receiving personal care.

At our last inspection on 7 June 2016 we rated the service Good. At this inspection we found evidence to show the service had deteriorated to Requires Improvement. We also found the provider had breached the regulation relating to good governance. This was because the provider currently lacked a structured approach to quality assurance. Due to staff shortages the registered manager was required to cover care shifts which meant the usual quality assurance checks had not been completed. Care plans and risk assessments had not been maintained or evaluated regularly. There were limited formal opportunities for people and staff to give feedback about the service. Questionnaires had not been sent to people to gather their views and staff meetings were not taking place.

You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.

The service had a registered manager. 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 said the registered manager was approachable.

Although staff found the registered manager supportive, the provider lacked a structured approach to supporting staff. Staff were not receiving one to one supervision sessions and appraisals had not been completed. Some essential training was overdue. The registered manager showed us evidence that this had been planned.

People consistently provided positive feedback about the care they received and the care staff. They also confirmed they felt safe.

Staff showed a good understanding of safeguarding and knew about the provider’s whistle blowing procedure. They told us they had not needed to raise concerns previously bit felt confident to do so if needed.

A consistent and reliable staff team provided people’s care. They told us staff turned up on time and stayed for the full length of the call. Recruitment checks were completed to ensure new staff were suitable to care for people using the service.

Medicines were managed safely. Medicines records contained a small number of inaccuracies. However, effective audits had identified these and action had been taken.

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.

People received the support they needed to meet with eating and drinking and to access health care services.

People’s needs had been assessed to identify their care needs and wishes. This was used to develop care plans.

People did not raise any concerns during the inspection but told us they knew how to complain. There had been no complaints received since we last inspected the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

This inspection took place on 12 and 16 May 2016 and was announced. This is the first inspection of MyCare Services following registration with the Care Quality Commission.

MyCare Services is a domiciliary care agency which provides personal care for people living in their own homes to meet their individual social care needs and circumstances. It mainly supports people living in the Sunderland area.

At the time of the inspection there were 56 people using the service who received the regulated activity of personal care.

A registered manager was registered with the Care Quality Commission at the time of the 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 told us they felt safe with the staff who visited them at home. One person said, “I feel safe with them, I have personal care and they make me feel safe and secure.” They also said they knew the registered manager well and were visited by them at home to make sure they were happy with the care they were receiving.

Staffing levels were such that people’s needs could be met and the agency worked with another care provider to ensure contingencies were in place should additional staff be needed.

Recruitment was effective and robust with necessary checks completed before staff commenced in their role. One person told us, “The people who employ the staff are very careful.” Following the offer of employment staff completed a four day induction programme and shadowed a competent team leader who assessed their competency to provide direct care for people. One person told us, “They [staff] are all pretty competent. New girls are taken around by someone who knows it and they get to know everything. They come round and watch and listen and learn everything and they remember everything.”

Staff understood safeguarding and knew how to raise concerns and seek advice.

Appropriate advice and guidance was sought from relevant healthcare professionals as needed. Any recommendations made were included in care plans and daily logs were audited to ensure the correct delivery of care.

People said staff were very kind and caring and that they were treated with respect and dignity. One person said, “They are absolutely respectful, very pleasant and very kind.” They added, “I look forward to seeing them, they are nice people, the carers are in the same category as nurses, on a level with them. A lot’s expected of them but they are lovely girls, I really appreciate them.”

Care plans were person centred and contained detailed information about how to deliver care to ensure people’s preferences were met. People and their family where relevant, had been involved in writing care plans and risk assessments which were regularly reviewed and updated with people’s involvement. One person said, “I’ve had a look at my folder [care plans] and everything is up to date, it takes a bit of reading but I’m happy with it. I’m very happy with the girls.”

Staff told us the registered manager was very supportive. Quality assurance systems were in place and were being developed to ensure consistently high standards were maintained and managed whilst the service was growing.

There was a shared ethos amongst the staff of providing high quality care for people whilst encouraging people to maintain their independence. One team leader said, “I enjoy it, I like where the company come from and their ethos moving forward, they believe in independence, promoting skills and reducing care if we can. If we don’t have the time to deliver the care that’s needed people are reassessed.”