This announced inspection took place on the 18, 20 and 21 October 2016. Southover Community Care provides a personal care service to people who live in their own homes in Lewes. At the time of our inspection the service was supporting 20 people.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of 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.

People received care from staff that were kind, caring and passionate about providing the care and support people wanted to enable them to stay in their own homes. They would go the ‘extra mile’ to ensure that people were happy and safe in their homes.

Staff had the skills and knowledge to provide the care and support people needed and were supported by a registered manager who was approachable, receptive to ideas and committed to providing a high standard of care.

Staff understood the need to protect people from harm and knew what action they should take if they had any concerns. People told us that they felt cared for safely in their own home. Staff understood their role in caring for people with limited or no capacity under the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

People had care plans that were personalised to their individual needs and wishes. Records contained detailed information to assist care workers to provide care and support in an individualised manner that respected each person's individual requirements and promoted treating people with dignity.

Staffing levels ensured that people received the support they required safely and at the times they needed. The recruitment practice protected people from being cared for by staff that were unsuitable to work in their home.

The registered manager was approachable and continually monitored the quality of the service provided. Staff and people were confident that issues would be addressed and that any concerns they had would be listened to.

During our visit we saw that people were being treated with dignity and respect and people's independence was encouraged. People were spoken to in a respectful way. People we spoke with told us that staff were polite, friendly and helpful and that their privacy was respected whilst they were supported to maintain their independence. We were told 'I feel very well looked after' and that staff were 'worth their weight in gold'.

We saw that people experienced safe and effective care based on detailed care plans and risk assessments that met individual need.

People using the service were protected from abuse as they were supported by a staff team who had appropriate knowledge and training on safeguarding adults. People told us that if they had concerns they would report them to the manager.

Staff we spoke to and records we reviewed demonstrated that staff were suitably experienced and skilled to support people in their homes. A staff member told us 'we take full pride in our care agency' and that 'clients come first'.

The provider had effective systems in place to monitor and assess the quality of the service.

During our inspection we spoke with four people who used the service, a relative of a service user and three staff members; these were two carers and the registered manager. We also took information from other sources to help us understand the views of people who used the service, which included a satisfaction survey and meeting minutes.

The people we spoke with told us they were happy with the care they had received and with the staff team. One person who used the service told us “I am treated with dignity and respect and they meet my care needs”. Another person who used the service told us “I have no complaints at all. I would recommend this care to anyone”. Staff we spoke with had a good understanding of the support needs of the people who used the service. One member of staff we spoke with told us “Working at Southover Care is 100% better than the previous care agency I worked for. I am really happy”.

Staff we spoke with confirmed that they felt supported and had received relevant training, which included the safeguarding of vulnerable adults. We saw that the service had ensured staff were able to deliver care and treatment safely through regular training and assessments. The service had quality assurance systems in place to monitor the quality of the service provided and to gain the views of the people who used the service.