This inspection took place on 16 August 2017 and was announced. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice that we would be visiting. This was because the provider offers a support service to people living in their own homes and we wanted to make sure that people and staff would be available to speak with us. This was the provider’s first inspection at this location.

Phemacare is a community based adult social care service, registered to provide personal care for persons within their own home. They currently provide a service for 60 people.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of 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. This was Phemacare’s first rating inspection at this location.

People were kept safe. Staff had received training and understood the different types of abuse and knew what action they would take if they thought a person was at risk of harm. People were kept safe by staff who were able to recognise the signs of abuse and raise concerns if needed. Staff were provided with sufficient guidance on how to support people’s medical needs. Staff rotas were effective to ensure that staff had sufficient time to attend care visits.

People were supported by staff that had been safely recruited. People felt they were supported by staff with the appropriate skills and knowledge to care and support them.

Staff had the knowledge and skills to enable them to care for people in a way that met their individual needs and preferences. People were supported to make choices and were involved in the care and support they received. Staff had an awareness of the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguarding (DoLS).

Staff were caring and treated people with dignity and respect. People’s choices and independence were respected and promoted and staff responded to people’s care and support needs.

People and staff felt they could speak with the provider about any concerns and felt they would be listened to and their concerns would be addressed. The provider sought people’s views on how the service was run and their feedback was acted upon.

The provider ensured that all policies and procedures were kept up to date with current guidance and legislation. There were quality assurance and auditing systems in place to ensure continual development of the service for the people being supported by the provider.