We undertook an announced inspection of Unique Personnel (UK) Limited Brent on 9 August 2017. We contacted the service before we visited to announce the inspection so we could ensure that the registered manager would be available.

The service was registered with us on 17 October 2016. This is the first inspection of the service.

Unique Personnel (UK) Limited Brent provides a domiciliary care service that delivers personal care and other support to people in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were twenty two older people receiving assistance with their personal care.

The service has a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission [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.

People using the service and their relatives informed us that they were happy with the care and the other services they received. People received consistency of care from staff that they knew.

People told us that staff treated them with respect and they felt safe when receiving care from the service. Arrangements were in place to keep people safe. The service had a safeguarding policy and procedure. Staff knew how to identify abuse and understood their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding people and reporting concerns.

Risks to people’s safety were identified and guidance was in place to minimise the risk of people being harmed.

People were involved in decisions about their care. Staff knew how to provide people with the care that they needed and wanted and respected people’s choices. The service understood the importance of encouraging and promoting people's independence.

People had care plans that were up to date and included information staff needed about how best to support them. People told us they received care and support in the way they wanted and staff respected their privacy and dignity.

Care staff understood the importance of obtaining people’s consent before supporting them with personal care and other tasks.

The organisation carried out appropriate checks to reduce the risk of employing staff that were not suitable to work with people using the service. There were sufficient staff to meet people's needs and people told us they received the care that had been planned. Staff received the support and training they needed to carry out their role and responsibilities.

Arrangements were in place to make sure medicines were managed safely and people received their medicines as prescribed.

People, who received support with their meals, had their nutritional needs and their individual dietary preferences and needs assessed and met.

People knew how to make a complaint and told us that concerns that they raised had been addressed. People's feedback about the service was sought and action was taken to make improvements when required.

People and their relatives told us they thought the service was well run and would recommend it. The service liaised closely with health and social care professionals to make sure people’s needs were met.

There were systems in place to carry out checks, monitor the service and to make improvements when needed.