Oxleycare Limited, Tidworth, Hampshire provides a live-in care at home service for adults throughout the south of England. At the time of our inspection 29 people were receiving personal care from the service. The service was last inspected in January 2014 and found to be meeting all of the standards that were inspected.

This inspection took place on 30 September 2016. It was an announced inspection which meant the provider was given short notice that we would be visiting. This was because the location provides a home care service. We wanted to make sure the registered manager, or someone who could act on their behalf, would be available to support our inspection.

There was a registered manager in post at the service. 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.

People who use the service and their relatives were positive about the care they received and praised the skills and knowledge of the staff and management. Comments from people included, “I am very pleased with Oxleycare, I think they provide an excellent service”; “I have no negatives, Oxleycare is the best provider I have been involved with”; and “We have been using Oxleycare for a few years now and have never had cause for concern”.

People told us they felt safe when receiving care and were involved in developing and reviewing their care plans. Systems were in place to protect people from abuse and harm and staff knew how to use them.

Staff understood the needs of the people they were providing care for. Staff were appropriately trained and skilled. They received a thorough induction when they started working for the service and demonstrated a good understanding of their role and responsibilities. Staff had completed training to ensure the care and support provided to people was safe and effective to meet their needs. Comments from staff included, “I feel safe in the knowledge that I am always able to refer back to Oxleycare and that I can discuss any and all concerns with them. There is always someone available”; “All this training has definitely improved and refreshed my skills and knowledge in providing the highest standard of care”; and “The training does help to keep us up to date with new ideas and gives us confidence going forward”.

The service was responsive to people’s needs and wishes. People had regular meetings to provide feedback about their care and there was an effective complaints procedure. People and their relatives felt they could contact the office if needed and they also had contact numbers out of office hours, in case of an emergency.

The provider regularly assessed and monitored the quality of the service provided. Feedback from people and their relatives was encouraged and was used to make improvements to the service. Staff felt they were well supported by the management team, with comments including, “Oxleycare management team are all experts in their field, have worked in care, and give sound, relevant guidance when needed. They care about their clients and carers”; “(They provide) excellent support, trust and confidence in their staff abilities, allowing them to work independently using their learned skills and knowledge”; and “I find the staff at Oxleycare fantastic and very supportive. I have felt supported all the way.”

We spoke with three people to find out their views of the agency and the service being provided. We also spoke with five staff.

People were pleased with the service they received from the care workers. Examples of comments made included “overall I am satisfied,” also “an outstanding organisation” and “they are very helpful”.

People were able to plan the care they received and the agency worked with them so that a package of support was put in place in the way which suited people.

The agency trained their care workers and had procedures which protected people from any form of abuse. People told us they did not have any complaints but would speak to the managers or staff if they had any concerns. One person said “I would ring up the manager”. People we spoke with felt safe with the care workers who stayed with them.

People were protected from the risks of unsuitable care workers because the agency had recruitment procedures that ensured they employed suitable care workers to provide care and support.

People were assisted by care workers who were monitored and supervised. This was to ensure they provided a suitable service. People were supported by care workers who were trained to understand their needs.

People had their information stored confidentially because the service had made arrangements for the safe storage and retention of their information.

The agency provided a safe service which promoted the wellbeing of people using the service.

People told us the agency provided them with the service they needed and respected their wishes. One person described how care workers “just fit in, if something needs doing, they do it.” Another person told us they had “total confidence” in their care worker. A relative told us “I generally feel safe” about the support given by the agency. One person said emphatically “yes they are!” when asked if care workers were trained in their role. A person described the agency’s managers as “just brilliant people.”

Care workers told us they liked working for the agency and described how the agency supported them in their role. One care worker described people’s care plans as “very thorough.” They told us managers supervised them and they felt supported. One care worker told us the agency were “always willing to put something on” if they felt they needed further training.

The agency had management systems to ensure people’s care plans were regularly reviewed. The manager maintained close working contact with people who received a service, and their care worker, via weekly phone contact. All such contacts were documented. The provider’s procedures ensured where issues were identified, they took appropriate action to support people and their care workers. The provider had effective systems to ensure people were safeguarded and action taken if relevant. People’s views of the service were sought and issues relating to areas such as health and safety were monitored.