This inspection took place on the 14,15 ,17 and 20 March 2017. It was carried out by one inspector.

Phoenix Care & Support Services 24/7 Ltd is registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection the service provided personal care and support for 16 people.

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 were positive about the care and support they received. They told us staff treated them with kindness and we saw people were comfortable with staff in their homes. Staff were consistent in their knowledge of people’s care needs and spoke with confidence about the care they provided to meet those needs. They were motivated to provide the best care they could and told us they felt supported in their roles. They had received training that provided them with the necessary knowledge and skills to do their job effectively. Staff kept accurate records about the care they provided.

There were enough safely recruited staff to ensure people were supported in ways that met their needs. People were mostly supported by live in staff and told us this worked well. People were positive about the care they received and told us the staff were friendly and compassionate. Staff treated people and each other with respect and kindness throughout our inspection. We saw they were supported to make choices and these choices were respected by the staff.

People felt safe. They were protected from harm because staff understood the risks they faced and how to reduce these risks. Staff knew how to identify and respond to abuse; including how to contact agencies they should report concerns about people’s care to. People’s medicines and creams were administered safely.

People had access to health care professionals and were supported to maintain their health by staff. Staff understood changes in people’s health and shared the information necessary for people to receive safe care. People chose and when possible prepared their food with support from staff.

Management were committed to making continual improvements to the quality of care. There were systems developing to ensure this as the service grew.