This inspection took place on 6, 7, 13, 14 and 15 November 2018 and was announced. The registered provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be at the office to assist with the inspection.

The service was last inspected in June 2016. At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good. There was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

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. Not everyone using SNE Care Services Ltd receives regulated activity. CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of our inspection 70 people were receiving personal care from the service.

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. The registered manager was also the owner and registered provider of the service. In this report they will be referred to as the registered manager.

Risks to people were assessed and plans put in place to address them. Plans were in place to support people in emergency situations. People were safeguarded from abuse. Medicines were managed safely. The provider had effective infection control policies and procedures in place. The registered manager monitored staffing levels to ensure there were enough staff employed to support people safely. The provider’s recruitment processes minimised the risk of unsuitable staff being employed.

An assessment of people’s health and social needs was carried out before they started using the service to ensure the correct support was available to them. Staff were supported with regular training, supervision and appraisal. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People were supported with managing food and nutrition and to access external professionals to monitor and promote their health.

People spoke very positively about the support they received from staff. Relatives also said staff provided kind and caring support. People and their relatives told us staff treated people with dignity and respect. The service had received written compliments about the quality of the care it provided. People were supported to access advocacy services where needed.

People received person-centred care. Policies and procedures were in place to investigate and respond to complaints. At the time of our inspection nobody using the service was receiving end of life care, but policies and procedures were in place to provide this where needed.

Staff spoke positively about the culture and values of the service, and the leadership provided by the registered manager. People and their relatives also spoke positively about the registered manager and the service. The registered manager had informed CQC of significant events in a timely way by submitting the required notifications. This meant we could check that appropriate action had been taken. The registered manager carried out quality assurance checks to monitor and improve standards at the servi

This inspection took place on 2 June, 3 June, 8 June and 14 June 2016 and was announced. The registered provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be in to assist us.

SNE Care Services Ltd is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to older people in their own home. The service supports people in the Teesside and North Yorkshire area. At the time of the inspection 25 people were using the service.

The service had a registered manager. 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 said they received safe care. Risks to people were assessed and plans put in place to minimise the chances of them occurring. Risk assessments were reviewed every month to ensure they met people’s current support needs. Accidents and incidents were investigated and recorded to see if any remedial action was needed.

There was a safeguarding policy in place. Staff had an understanding of safeguarding and told us they would be confident to raise any concerns they had. Policies and procedures were in place to ensure people had safe access to their medicines. People said their medicines were managed safely.

The registered manager monitored staffing levels to ensure sufficient staff were employed to support people safely. Staff told us staffing levels were sufficient to support people safely. People told us staff were usually on time and that they were supported by a stable care team. Recruitment procedures were in place to minimise the risk of unsuitable staff being employed, including pre-employment checks.

There was a business contingency plan in place to help provide a continuity of care in the event that an emergency situation disrupted the service.

Staff received mandatory training in a number of areas and spoke positively about the training they received. Office staff and the registered manager also completed mandatory training so they could assist with care work. Staff were supported through regular supervisions and appraisals were planned.

The service was working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Staff understood and applied the principles of the MCA when supporting people, and consent was sought from people before support was given.

Some people received support with food and nutrition as part of their care package. Where they did they said they chose what they would like to eat and drink and staff supported them to access it.

People were supported to access external professionals to maintain and promote their health, and input from them was used to plan and deliver support.

People described the support they received as kind and caring. Staff told us they enjoyed getting to know the people they supported and had the time to do so..

People said staff treated them with respect, maintained their dignity and put them at ease when delivering personal care. Staff told us how they respected people’s dignity and treated them with respect.

There was no advocacy policy in place but the registered manager told us how people would be supported to access advocacy services. At the time of the inspection no one was receiving end of life care. The registered manager was able to describe how this would be arranged should it be necessary.

Care was planned and delivered based on people’s assessed needs and preferences. People said they were involved in planning their care and that it reflected their preferences. Staff said the care plans helped them to get to know people’s needs and preferences.

Some people received social calls as part of their care package. Where they did, people said activities were based on their