This inspection took place on 6 and 7 June 2018 and was announced. At the time of our inspection visit seven people were using the service.

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 adults, and younger disabled adults.

Not everyone using Vale Care Limited 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 consider any wider social care provided.

This was the first inspection of the service since they were registered on 10 March 2017. At this inspection we rated the service overall as ‘requires improvements’.

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.

Pre-employment checks had not been carried out before staff worked with vulnerable people. Systems were not in place to ensure staff received appropriate induction, training, supervision and support for their roles.

Governance systems to monitor the quality of care provision was not fully implement or used effectively to drive improvements. Policies and procedures in place were not always followed to protect people’s wellbeing and safety. There were limited opportunities for people who used the service and staff to share their views about the service to influence changes.

Risk assessments were in place to manage risks within people’s lives. Care plans were provided information and guidance about how to meet people’s needs. Information was made available in accessible formats to help people understand the care and support agreed. However, staff did not always have the information they required to provide care that met people’s current needs as their care plans were not always available in people’s homes.

Staff had relied on training completed in their previous employment on topics such as safeguarding and health and safety to keep people safe. The provider had identified another office where staff meetings were held.

There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Staff understood how to support people to stay safe.

People’s nutritional needs were met and they were supported with their health care needs when required. The service worked with other organisations to ensure that people received coordinated care and support.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. The registered manager and staff team understand the Mental Capacity Act, 2005 (MCA) and gained people's consent before providing personal care.

People were encouraged to make decisions about how their care was provided and staff had a good understanding of people's needs and preferences. Staff treated people with kindness, dignity and respect and spent time getting to know them and their specific needs and wishes. Staff worked in a flexible way and took account of people’s backgrounds and lifestyle choices to ensure continuity of care was promoted.

People knew how to raise a concern or to make a complaint. The provider had a complaint policy and procedure and complaints received were investigated.

We found three breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.