We inspected this service on 26 and 27 April 2016. This was an announced inspection and we telephoned the week prior to our inspection to arrange home visits and telephone interviews with people. This was our first inspection since the new provider registered with us in February 2015. Allied Healthcare Cannock provides support to people who live in their own homes in the Cannock and Rugeley area. At the time of our inspection visit, 306 people were using the service.

There was a registered manager in post. 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 felt safe having support from the provider. Staff were knowledgeable about the different types of abuse that could occur and were aware of the possible signs of abuse. Staff knew how to respond to any concerns and were confident that these would be dealt with by the provider. Risks to individuals were assessed and managed, and people were involved with these decisions. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs and they were recruited safely. When needed, medicines were managed safely.

Staff had the knowledge and skills to meet people’s needs. Staff received an induction, ongoing training and annual appraisals to ensure they were competent to carry out their roles. People were involved in making decisions about their care, and staff would gain people’s consent before they gave them support. Staff supported people to maintain a balanced diet and have their health needs met when this was needed.

Positive caring relationships were developed between the staff and people who used the service. People were treated in a kind and caring manner and their privacy and dignity was respected and promoted. People were listened to and they were encouraged to maintain their independence.

People received care that was individual to them and their support plans reflected how they preferred to receive this care. They were enabled to contribute to the planning of their care, and their needs were reviewed when required. Concerns and complaints were responded to and people were encouraged to raise any issues.

People spoke positively about the management and leadership in place and good practice was recognised and rewarded. There were systems in place that were effective at monitoring the quality of the service, and used to identify trends to drive continuous improvement.