Spectrum Social Care is a domiciliary care service registered to provide personal care for people living in their own homes. At the time of the inspection the service was supporting three people. We were not able to speak with some people using the service, because we were unable to communicate verbally with them in a meaningful way.

There was a manager at the service who was registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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.

At the last inspection on 6 March 2015 the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good.

Relatives we spoke with felt their family member was safe.

All the relatives we spoke with made positive comments about the care their family member had received and about the staff working at the service. Relatives we spoke with told us they would recommend the service.

We saw there were sufficient staff to provide a regular team of care staff to people who used the service.

Staff had undertaken safeguarding training and were knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities in keeping people safe from harm.

The service had appropriate arrangements in place to manage medicines so people were protected from the risks associated with medicines.

There were recruitment procedures in place so people were cared for by suitably qualified staff who had been assessed as safe to work with people.

People’s care records showed that people had a written plan in place with details of their planned care. We saw they had been personalised to reflect their personal preferences.

People were supported with their health and dietary needs, where this was part of their plan of care.

The service promoted people’s wellbeing by providing support to people to attend daytime activities and to go out into the community, where this part of their plan of care.

Staff received induction and refresher training to maintain and update their skills. Staff received specialist training to meet the needs of people using the service. Staff were supported to deliver care and treatment safely and to an appropriate standard.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.

Relatives we spoke with were confident that if they raised any concerns or complaints, these would be taken seriously and appropriate action taken.

Relatives we spoke with made positive comments about the way the service was managed.

The registered provider actively sought the views of people and their representatives to continuously improve the service.

There were systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

Spectrum Social Care is a domiciliary care agency registered to provide personal care. The agency is managed from the Spectrum Social Care head office. From this location all referrals, staffing and service provision is organised. This office is the main point of contact for people receiving support, their families and professionals.

At our last inspection in October 2012 the service was meeting the regulations inspected.

At the time of this inspection the service supported four people. We told the registered manager two days before our visit that we would be coming. We did this because the registered manager is sometimes out of the office supporting staff or visiting people who use the service. We needed to be sure that they would be in.

There was a manager at the service who was registered with CQC. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Relatives of people who used the service told us they thought this was an excellent service and that they would not be able to manage their family member without the support of the care workers. One relative said, “I cannot fault this service. We need to trust the care worker’s involved in our family member’s care and we trust them explicitly.” Another relative told us, “They [care workers] are brilliant and accomodating, we couldn’t ask for more.”

The social care and healthcare professionals we contacted prior to this inspection told us the management team at the service were professional and well organised. All professionals we spoke with said the staff worked with each individual in a person centred way and went ‘above and beyond’ ensuring the service was meeting people’s needs.

The service followed the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 Code of practice and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. This helped to protect the rights of people who were not able to make important decisions for themselves.

Relatives of people who used the service told us their family member’s were encouraged to participate in a range of daily activities which were meaningful and promoted their independence in and outside their home. People were encouraged to maintain a healthy lifestyle which included being provided with nutritious meals and being supported to attend healthcare appointments.

Staff said the training provided them with the skills and knowledge they needed to do their jobs. Care staff understood their role and what was expected of them. They were happy in their work, motivated and confident in the way the service was managed.