This comprehensive inspection took place on 23 November 2017 and was announced.

Petals Care Agency is based in Chigwell, Essex. This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It provides a service to older adults.

Not everyone using Petals Care Agency receives regulated activity; 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.

At the time of our inspection, 15 people were using the service, who received personal care. The provider employed 15 care staff, who visited people living in the local community.

The service had 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 care services, 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.

Systems were in place to ensure people were protected from the risk of abuse. Staff were able to identify different types of abuse and knew how to report any concerns.

People received care at home from staff who understood their needs. They had their individual risks assessed and staff were aware of how to manage these risks.

The provider had sufficient numbers of staff available to provide care and support to people. Staff had been recruited following pre-employment checks such as criminal background checks, to ensure they were safe and of good character.

Once recruited, they received an induction, relevant training and were able to shadow experienced staff in order for them to carry out their roles effectively.

Staff provided safe care in people’s homes. When required, staff administered people’s medicines and recorded medicines that they administered on people's Medicine Administration Records (MAR). They had received training on how to do this.

Staff told us that they received supervision, support and encouragement from the registered manager. Senior managers took action where necessary to improve staff performance.

Staff had an understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and knew the principles of the act. People's care and support needs were assessed and reviewed regularly.

The provider worked with health professionals if there were concerns about people's health. People were registered with health care professionals, such as GPs and staff contacted them in emergencies.

People were supported to have their nutritional and hydration requirements met by staff, who provided them with meals and a drink, when they requested.

People were treated with respect and their privacy and dignity were maintained. They were listened to by staff and were involved in making decisions about their care and support.

Care plans were person centred. They provided staff with sufficient information about each person’s individual preferences and how staff should meet these in order to obtain positive outcomes for each person.

People were able to access information they were able to understand to help keep them informed and safe. A complaints procedure was in place. People and their relatives knew how to complain and give feedback about their care.

The provider was committed to developing and growing the service. They used technology to help manage the service, where needed. Staff were able to raise any concerns and were confident that they would be addressed by the management team.

The management team carried out regular spot checks on staff providing care in people’s homes to ensure they followed the correct procedures and people always received safe care.

Feedback was received from people and relatives to check they were satisfied with the service and to help make improvements. The registered manag