What life is like for people using this service:

¿ People continued to receive safe, compassionate and good quality care.

¿ Staff understood their roles and responsibilities to safeguard people from the risk of harm.

¿ People had developed positive relationships with staff. Staff had a good understanding of people's needs and preferences.

¿ People received care from enough staff that had received training and support to carry out their roles.

¿ People were supported to have enough to eat and drink to maintain their health and well-being.

¿ Risk assessments were in place and were reviewed regularly; people received their care as planned to mitigate their assessed risks.

¿ People were supported to access relevant health and social care professionals. There were systems in place to manage medicines in a safe way.

¿ Staff demonstrated their understanding of the Mental Capacity Act, 2005 (MCA). Staff gained people's consent before providing personal care.

¿ People were encouraged to make decisions about how their care was provided and their privacy and dignity were protected and promoted.

¿ People were involved in the planning of their care which was person centred and updated regularly.

¿ People using the service and their relatives knew how to raise a concern or make a complaint. There was a complaints system in place and people were confident that any complaints would be responded to appropriately.

¿ There was a positive culture within the service where staff communicated well and people's needs were met. People were involved in how the service was run.

¿ The provider and registered manager continually assessed and evaluated the quality of care and made the necessary changes to improve the service.

¿ The service met the characteristics for a rating of "good" in all key questions.

¿ More information about our inspection findings is in the full report.

Rating at last inspection: Good (3 June 2016)

About the service: This domiciliary care agency provides personal care to older people living at the Methodist home, Welland Place. At the time of inspection 12 people were receiving personal care.

Why we inspected: Scheduled inspection based on previous rating

The inspection took place on 19 April 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be in the office. The service provides domiciliary care to people who live at Welland Place. Welland Place are retirement living and care apartments run by MHA (Methodist Homes Association). They offer emergency call services directly linked to staff on site who are available 24 hours a day. There are currently providing domiciliary support to 16 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.

People were safe because staff understood and practised their responsibilities for protecting people from abuse and avoidable harm. People were supported to be as independent as they wanted to be. Risk assessments were in place to manage risks associated with people’s care routines and activities they chose to participate in.

The provider had robust recruitment procedures that ensured as far as possible that only people suited to work at Welland Place were employed. Sufficient staff were deployed to meet people's assessed needs.

The provider’s arrangements for management of medicines were safe.

People were supported by staff with the necessary skills, experience and training. Staff were supported through effective supervision, appraisal and training. The registered manager and staff understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

People using the service told us that the staff team were kind and compassionate. They told us that they were treated with respect and their care and support was provided in a way they preferred.

A complaints process was in place and a copy of this was available to everyone. The people we spoke with told us that they knew what to do if they had a concern of any kind. They felt they would be listened to and any concerns would be acted upon.

Management and staff had a shared understanding of the aims and objectives of the service. The provider had effective arrangements for monitoring and assessing the quality of the service. The registered manager and staff were committed to continuous improvement.