This was an announced inspection carried out on the 14 September 2016.

The service is registered to provide personal care to people within their own homes in the North Shropshire area. The office is located within the main shopping area in Market Drayton.

There was a registered manager in place. 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 service was last inspected in January 2014, when we did not identify any concerns with the care and support provided to people who used the service.

People and their relatives considered they or their loved ones were safe. They felt they and were attended to by staff that were professional, reliable and caring. caring.

People were safe as staff knew how to recognise different signs of abuse and what action to take if they had any concerns.

The provider ensured staff were safe to work with people who used the service. They obtained Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and suitable references for new staff.

The provider had suitable arrangements in place to ensure people’s medicines were managed safely.

There were systems in place to ensure that risks to people’s safety and wellbeing were identified and addressed. A risk and needs assessments was undertaken to assess any risk to people who used the service.

People told us that scheduled visits were rarely late and that they had never experienced a missed call. We found there were effective systems in place to schedule and pro-actively monitor visits. Managers were able to anticipate late calls and take appropriate action either to notify the person who used the service or make alternative arrangements in respect of staff attending.

The provider ensured staff had a full understanding of people’s care needs and had the skills and knowledge to meet them. Training was comprehensive and effectively organised to meet the individual needs of staff.

People had access to healthcare professionals to make sure they received effective treatment to meet their specific needs.

People who used the service were treated with kindness and said their privacy and dignity was always respected.

People’s care and support was planned in full consultation with them. We found people received care and support, which was personalised to their wishes and responsive to their needs. Each person had support plans in place, which provided guidance for staff about how best to meet each person’s needs.

Staff were knowledgeable about the people they supported, which enabled them to provide a personalised and responsive service.

The provider had systems in place to routinely listen to people’s experiences, concerns and complaints.

The provider had clear visions and values that were person-centred and that ensured people, including staff were at the heart of the service. People told us the service was responsive and well managed.

Staff were very highly motivated and proud of the service they worked in. Staff told us the service was well-led and that they felt valued by the provider, which had an open and transparent culture.

The provider undertook a comprehensive range of checks to monitor the quality of service delivery. We saw records relating to unannounced ‘spots checks’ and ‘observations’ of staff practice. These were undertaken to ensure staff remained competent to deliver services at a high standard.

During this inspection we spoke in private with people who used the service and staff. We also spoke with the registered manager.

People told us that they were very happy with the care staff who supported them. One relative described the carer as "Excellent” and said the staff knew exactly how to support their family member. Other comments included, “They are all very professional. Nothing is too much trouble” and “Can’t speak highly enough, we couldn’t do without them”. Other people stated, "My carer couldn't be better" and “I would give my carer a 1000%”. People told us the care staff were flexible and tried to fit in with their wishes. People received care from regular staff who knew their needs well. People told us they had been consulted with about their care plans and involved in regular reviews of their care.

We found that care was planned and delivered in line with people's assessed needs and care plans were updated on a regular basis. The provider trained staff in safeguarding vulnerable adults and other important issues and people told us they felt safe with the care staff. We saw that staff were supervised and their competency was monitored on a regular basis. Staff told us they felt supported in their work.

We found that the provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of the service. This ensured that the service was effective and well led.

We spoke with the manager, six staff, one person who used the service and three relatives of people who used the service.

People were very satisfied with the care and support they received from Salopian Care. They were involved and consulted with the way that care and support was given and reviewed. People were supported to retain their independence as much as possible. Staff and the service were described as "marvellous", "excellent" and "very helpful".

Care plans contained clear guidance for staff on people's needs and how these should be met. This was done in a way that reflected people's individuality and preferences.

People were protected from the risk of abuse because staff were trained to recognise and report any concerns.

Systems were in place to make sure that checks were made when new staff started working at the agency to make sure that they were suitable. Staff felt very well supported by the management team.

The agency supplied people with information about how to raise any concerns and complaints.

Appropriate equipment was provided and serviced by healthcare professionals. Staff were trained so that they could use it safely.