There were five people who use the service on the day of our visit. We spoke with two people and two members of staff and had a telephone conversation with two relatives.

People we spoke with said “I’m able to ask staff to do things for me” and “I’m always asked if anything else is needed”. Another person told us that “I just ask if I need anything”. People we spoke with also told us they were “able to choose” and that “even extra is done if I ask”.

People we spoke with said “it’s a very good service, they look after me”. One person told us “I’ve only got two carers and I’ve known one of them all their life”. People said that staff knew their needs “very well” and “I would recommend them to anyone”. Staff we spoke with said “it’s so nice; I feel there’s no pressure”.

People, who use the service, whilst not involved in the recruitment of staff, appeared to have a good rapport with staff who understood their care and support needs. We observed positive interactions between people who use the service and staff and saw that staff were friendly and supportive; people responded well to staff and appeared to enjoy their company.

We saw staff training certificates in staff files which showed that all staff training was currently out of date. This was discussed with the manager who acknowledged that this was the case.

People and their representatives who spoke with us said that the staff who visited them knew them well and had often been visiting them for some years. They told us that the carers were always polite and considerate. Care was arranged to meet their needs and when they required a change of time this had been arranged. Additional visits were also arranged promptly to cover occasions when families were on holiday.

People were very positive about the care that they received from the agency. They told us that the service was “totally reliable”. We heard that people felt very well looked after and that they had “no complaints what so ever.” One relative told us “They have empathy and the visits are not rushed. They look after my relative well.”

We saw from the daily records that staff were aware of keeping people safe and that they took action when there were any concerns about people’s safety. One person told us “If I have any worries I can always call. They never let me down.”

This is a small service providing personal care currently for ten people. The provider has day to day contact with people who use the service and staff who provide care.