This inspection took place on 3 and 8 May 2018. We gave the service three days’ notice of the inspection site visits because the service provides support to people living in their own homes and we needed to be sure the registered manager was available.

The last inspection of the service was on 18 March 2016 when we rated the service as Good for the key questions of Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led and Good overall.

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 people. When we inspected, the service was providing care and support to 167 people living in the London Boroughs of Ealing, Barnet, Hillingdon and Hounslow.

Not everyone using Thames Homecare Services Ltd receives a 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 take into account any wider social care provided.

The service has 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.

The service was very caring. People said their care workers treated them with exceptional kindness, compassion, dignity and respect. People developed excellent open and honest relationships with their care workers.

People were expertly matched with care workers who had complimentary personalities, backgrounds or shared interests. People received full choice in their care, including choice of the care workers who cared for them.

The provider went the extra mile in ensuring people received compassionate care. People were supported to maintain their independence.

The provider had systems to keep people safe and care workers had completed the training they needed to provide safe care and support.

The provider assessed risks to people using the service and took action to mitigate risks they identified.

There were systems to ensure that care workers the provider employed were suitable to work with people using the service.

People received the medicines they needed safely and as prescribed. Where people needed support with eating and drinking the provider included this in their care plan and gave care workers clear guidance on the support the person needed.

The provider learned lessons when things went wrong and made changes to improve the delivery of care and support to people using the service.

Care workers completed a thorough induction and training the provider considered mandatory. Where people had specific care needs, for example diabetes, epilepsy or end of life care, the provider arranged relevant additional training for their care workers.

The registered manager, office staff and care workers had completed raining in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). They understood their responsibilities under the MCA and only provided care and support with people’s consent.

The provider assessed people’s care needs and developed care plans and guidance for care workers that ensured people received the care and support they needed.

The provider had systems for responding to people’s concerns and complaints. They recorded and investigated any complaints they received and resolved these where possible.

The provider had a clear vision to provide people with high quality care and support. Staff understood this vision and worked together to deliver this to people using the service.

There was a clear management structure and the provider had systems to monitor quality in the service and make improvements.

The provider worked well with other agencies and ensured they met the requirements of their CQC registration.

This inspection took place on 18 March 2016 and was announced. We gave the provider short notice of the inspection because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be available to assist with the inspection. This was the first inspection of the service since the Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered the location in June 2015.

Thames Homecare Services provided personal care and support to people living in their own homes. When we carried out this inspection, the service had 61 clients. 42, mainly older, people were actively 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 using the service told us they felt safe with their care workers.

The provider had a policy and procedures for safeguarding people using the service and care workers told us they had completed safeguarding adults training.

People were looked after by care workers who were trained and knowledgeable about how to meet their needs effectively.

Care workers were able to demonstrate that they knew people’s needs well.

Care workers respected people’s wishes, gave them choices and supported them to be as independent as possible.

People received a reliable service from care workers who knew and understood their needs.

People’s support plans covered their care needs and detailed the support their care workers provided on each visit.

People told us their care workers listened to them, and gave them time to express their views and preferences about the way care is delivered.

People using the service, their relatives and care workers told us they felt able to approach the management team and felt valued by them.

The provider had systems to monitor the quality of the service that people received and to make improvements.

The provider was active in seeking feedback from people with regard to their experiences of the service and used this to drive improvement.

The provider had systems in place to make sure they carried out appropriate checks on new care workers before they worked with people using the service.