Unique Personnel (UK) Limited – Brixton Branch is a domiciliary care agency. This service provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It provides a service to older adults and children, some of whom have learning disabilities, dementia and physical disabilities. At the time of inspection 13 children and 116 adults were receiving support from this service.

Not everyone using Unique Personnel (UK) Limited – Brixton Branch 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 inspection took place on 8 May 2018 and was announced. 48 hours before the inspection we contacted the service to let them know that we will be coming to inspect them. We wanted to make sure that someone would be available on the day of inspection.

At the last inspection on 13 and 21 April 2016 the service was rated GOOD. At this inspection we found the service remained Good, with Requires Improvement in well-led.

The service had 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.

People’s care records had not always addressed the support people required to stay safe. Information was missing on the assistance people required to minimise risks. Care plans were not always fully completed and information about people’s health conditions was missing. We have made recommendations about this.

Staff had not completed appropriate training on the Mental Capacity Act (2005) to ensure they had the required knowledge and skills to support people effectively. We have made a recommendation about this.

People and their relatives told us that staff were regularly late for their shifts and there were occasions when staff had missed the visits. We have made a recommendation about this.

Quality assurance systems used were not always affective and therefore we recommended the provide to review their auditing processes to ensure that people's care records were maintained as necessary.

There were adult safeguarding procedures in place and these were followed by staff to support people from potential harm and abuse. People received their medicines in line with their prescriptions. Staff undertook appropriate checks to determine their suitability for the post and before they started working with people. The service provided staff with protective clothing to minimise the risk of infection. The management team had monitored the incidents and accidents occurring and took actions to reduce a likelihood of such events taking place in the future.

People had support to meet their dietary needs and requirements. Staff supported people to access health care professionals if they needed assistance which ensured their wellbeing was monitored and maintained. Staff had skills to use manual handling equipment and supported people to move safely. People received effective care based on their wishes.

People’s views were listened to and staff provided support that was respectful towards the people’s care needs and privacy. People were treated with dignity and kindness. Staff encouraged people to be as independent as possible and helped people to make choices about their daily activities.

People and their relatives were supported to raise concerns and complaints should they have any. People felt confident to approach the management team for making changes to their care and support if necessary.

There were quality assurance processes in place to monitor improvements required, however these were not always effective for reviewing and updating people ca

This announced inspection took place on 13 and 21 April 2016.

Unique Personnel (UK) Limited – Brixton Branch is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care and support to people in their own homes. At the time of this inspection the service was providing support to 126 people. 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.

The service was safe because people were supported by staff who were trained and knowledgeable in safeguarding adults procedures and knew what to do if they suspected abuse. People were protected from avoidable harm because their risks were assessed and plans to reduce them were in place. The provider operated a safe recruitment process which ensured that staff were suitable to work with people who may be vulnerable. People were supported to safely take their medicines.

People were supported by trained, appraised and supervised staff. Support was provided in line with mental capacity legislation and people’s consent was sought by staff before care and support was delivered. People were supported to eat and drink enough and risk assessments ensured that they did so safely. Staff supported people to access healthcare resources in a timely manner.

People receiving support from Unique Personnel told us that the staff were caring. People’s independence was promoted and they were treated with respect and dignity. People’s personal information was kept private and safe.

People’s needs were assessed before they received care and support. The service being received was subject to regular review. People’s care plans provided staff with clear guidance as to how care should be delivered and what people’s preferences for support were. The provider obtained feedback from people and acted appropriately in response to complaints.

Staff expressed confidence in the management team and felt able to contribute ideas about improving the service. The provider had quality assurance processes in place to enable them to measure the impact of service delivery on people. The service worked in partnership with healthcare, commissioning and social work professionals.