This inspection took place on 16 November 2018 and was announced. This was the first inspection of Silverjen Limited.

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It provides a service to older adults and younger adults with care and support needs. At the time of the inspection, the agency was providing care to 11 people.

There was a registered manager in post who supported us during 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.

We found that quality audit systems did not always identify areas of the service which required improvement. Complaints had not always been responded to fully although action had been taken to minimise the risk of concerns reoccurring. Although people's legal rights were respected, records did not always reflect that the principles of the MCA had been followed. Following the inspection the provider sent further information to demonstrate this had been addressed. We have made a recommendation regarding this.

Risks to people were assessed and reviewed regularly to ensure people's individual needs were being met safely. Safe medicines processes were in place and records showed that people received their medicines as prescribed. There was a 24 hour on-call system in place and guidance was available to staff regarding the action to take if an emergency occurred. Systems were in place to monitor accidents and incidents. Where changes were required to people's support to keep them safe these were implemented. Staff understood their responsibility to protect people from potential abuse and received training in this area. Safe infection control processes were followed and staff had access to personal protective equipment.

There were sufficient staff employed to cover all care calls. Recruitment checks were completed to ensure that staff were suitable to work in the service. Staff told us they felt supported. New staff completed an induction process to ensure they understood their responsibilities. On-going training was provided to staff and one to one supervisions were completed to monitor performance. Regular staff meetings were held and staff told us they felt able to contribute their ideas.

Assessments of people’s needs were completed before the agency began to provide support to ensure they were able to meet their needs. People's health needs were closely monitored by staff and prompt action was taken where concerns were identified. Where people required support from staff to prepare food this was done in accordance with their needs and preferences.

People's care was provided by caring staff who treated them with kindness. People told us that staff respected their dignity when providing personal care and encouraged them to maintain their independence. People received their care from a consistent staff team who knew their needs and preferences well. Support was person centred and care records contained information regarding people’s past lives. People and their relatives were involved in developing and reviewing their care plans. Staff understood the importance of gaining people’s consent prior to supporting them with their care.

People, relatives and staff told us the registered manager was approachable and responded quickly to any changes required. There was a positive culture within the service and staff were encouraged to work as part of a team. Although some areas of the quality assurances systems required improvement, other areas were effective in identifying concerns and ensuring they were responded to. Records were securely stored and organised. The registered manager attended forums and events to en