This inspection took place on 24 October 2017 and was announced. Nema Home Care Limited provides personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of our inspection, nine people were using the service.

This is the first inspection of the service since registration with the Care Quality Commission on 30 October 2016.

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 using the service and their relatives were happy that staff provided them with safe care. Staff followed safeguarding procedures to protect people from the risk of abuse and poor practice. People’s care delivery supported them in a manner that managed hazards to their well-being and promoted positive risk taking.

People received the support they required to take their medicines safely. Medicines management at the service was in line with the provider’s procedures and best practice guidance.

Staff underwent appropriate recruitment checks before they started to provide care. The registered manager ensured they deployed sufficient numbers of staff to meet people’s needs. Staff knew how to protect people from the risk of infection by following good practices and use of personal protective equipment.

People using the service and their families were very complimentary about the compassionate and kind manner in which staff delivered care. Staff treated people with respect and supported them to maintain their privacy and dignity. Feedback from people indicated that staff involved them in making decisions about their care.

Staff knew people’s needs and understood how they wanted their care delivered. Staff had developed positive working relationships with the people they supported.

People were supported by staff who had the skills and experience required to undertake their roles. Staff had regular supervision which provided them with opportunities to discuss their practice. People received the support they required to eat, drink and to access healthcare services.

People’s care met the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. Staff obtained people’s consent before they provided care. People who were unable to give consent to care had decisions made in their best interests.

People using the service and their relatives were happy that the registered manager actively sought their views. They were encouraged to make a complaint about their care when needed. The registered manager used people’s feedback to develop the service.

The registered manager carried out an assessment of people’s needs and developed detailed support plans for care delivery before they started to use the service. People’s support plans were reviewed regularly and provided guidance to staff about how to provide care in line with each person’s changing needs.

Staff were motivated in their work and understood their roles and responsibilities. People using the service, their relatives and health and social care professionals spoke highly of the registered manager. There was a person centred culture at the service.

The provider had appropriate quality assurance systems to monitor the care provided and used technology innovatively to aid staff learning and drive improvement at the service. The registered manager reviewed and monitored the quality of the service consistently and was proactive in their manner to improve people’s care.

The registered manager monitored staff’s punctuality and the time they spent in people’s homes to ensure people received care when needed. People using the service benefitted from the collaboration of the registered manager with external agencies and other healthcare professionals.