We undertook an announced inspection of TLC Care Services LLP on 19 and 28 December 2018. We told the provider two days before our visit that we would be coming because the location provides a domiciliary care service for people in their own homes and staff might be out visiting people.

TLC Care Services LLP is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care. At the time of the inspection 11 people were using the service, of which nine received support with personal care. The majority of people receiving support from TLC Care Services LLP either fund their care themselves or use direct payments.

Not everyone using TLC Care Services LLP 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 take into account any wider social care provided.

This was the first inspection since the provider registered the location in January 2018.

At the time of the inspection there was a registered manager in post. 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.

Where people might have lacked the mental capacity to make decisions, the provider did not demonstrate they were always following the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. They did not clearly show how people’s mental capacity was assessed and on what authority were other people making decisions on behalf of the person who use the service. The provider took action promptly after the inspection to address the issues we identified.

Relatives of people using the service were positive about the quality of the care provided and how the service was run. Relatives told us they felt their family member was safe when they received support and the provider had policies and procedures in place to deal with any concerns that were raised about the care provided.

Care workers administered people’s medicines in a safe way and as prescribed. The provider had processes in place for managing risks and the recording and investigation of incidents and accidents.

Detailed assessments of a person’s needs were completed before they started to receive visits. The care plans described the care and support a person required and how they wanted it to be provided.

Care workers had received training identified by the provider as mandatory to ensure they were providing appropriate and effective care for people using the service. Care workers had regular supervision with their manager and felt supported. There was a robust recruitment process in place.

The provider had a complaints process in place and relatives told us they knew what to do if they wished to raise any concerns.

The provider had effective systems for monitoring the quality of the service and making improvements. People using the service and their relatives could give their views on the quality of the care they received.