This inspection took place on 8 and 9 February 2017 and was announced. This was the service’s first inspection since it was registered in December 2015. The service provides a short term enablement service of care and support to people in their own homes. The service also provides support to people living in extra care schemes. At the time of our inspection there were 167 people receiving the enablement service and 42 people receiving support through the extra care scheme.

There was a registered manager in place for the service who was present throughout our 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 using the service told us they felt safe. Risk assessments were completed when people first joined the service and any health and safety issues were identified to help keep people safe. Staff were provided with basic details of people’s support needs and associated risks.

Staff told us that they would raise any concerns or suspicions of abuse with the assistant team managers and home care organisers of the service to help keep people safe. However, many staff had not been supported to complete up-to-date safeguarding training. Although most people told us that staff arrived on time to their calls, some people had experience missed or late calls.

People were satisfied with the support they received to take their medicines. The registered manager was taking action to improve how the administration of medicines was monitored as this was not robust.

People told us that staff understood and met their needs. Staff received supervision and spot checks, although they had not been supported to complete up-to-date training for their roles. People were supported to make their own choices, although staff were not aware of the principles of the MCA.

People we spoke with told us that they were supported to prepare and have meals where necessary, although records did not always reflect that this was consistent practice. People were supported to seek healthcare support when they were unwell or would benefit from such support to remain independent. People were supported to maintain good health.

People told us that staff were kind and caring, staff described the positive rapport they developed with people using the service. People were treated with respect and encouraged to retain their independence. People spoke positively about the service and how this had supported them. People were involved in their care planning and supported to seek help and guidance in the community where applicable.

People were able to complain through the registered provider’s complaints process. Most people we spoke with told us that they had no concerns and that they would raise any issues with staff.

Systems to monitor the quality and safety of the service such as record keeping and medicines management were not robust. Quality assurance processes did not always ensure that sustained improvements would be achieved. The registered provider’s systems had failed to ensure that staff were supported with core training for their roles. People and staff spoke positively about the service and told us that they would recommend the service to others, compliments we sampled reflected this.