Our inspection took place on 8 August 2016 and was announced. This was the locations first inspection since they were registered.

Sanctuary Home Care is an extra care scheme providing personal care for up to sixty people living in self-contained flats within the service. At the time of our inspection the service was providing the regulated activity of personal care to twenty five 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. The registered manager had been appointed in November 2015.

People told us they felt safe. Staff knew how to recognise the signs of potential abuse and how to report it. People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff who had been recruited safely. Risks to people’s health, safety and well-being were identified and managed. Staff had a good understanding of how care and support should be provided in order to keep people safe. People told us they mostly received their support calls on time. The provider had systems in place to ensure medicines were managed safely.

People were supported by staff who had the skills, knowledge and support to provide effective care. People consented to their care and support and people were supported by staff who had a knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act and how to respond to a person’s decline in their ability to make decisions. People were happy with the support they received with eating and drinking and were provided with choices. People had access to healthcare professionals when required and were supported to maintain good health.

People were supported by staff who were caring and treated people with kindness and respect. People’s individual needs and preferences were understood and met by staff and people were involved in making decisions about how their care and support was provided. Staff supported people in a way that maintained their privacy and dignity and promoted their independence. People were supported to maintain relationships that were important to them.

People knew how to raise a concern or complaint and expressed confidence that concerns would be dealt with efficiently by the registered manager.

The registered manager had effective systems in place to monitor the quality and consistency of the care provided. People and staff were encouraged to give feedback on the service and information from audits, surveys and quality checks was being used to drive improvement. The manager had identified the next steps required in order to continue to improve the service and had already started making progress. The registered manager was keen to continue to develop service.