Your Life (Bury) is a domiciliary care agency, delivering services to people living in a McCarthy and Stone assisted living scheme called Cross Penny Court in Bury St Edmunds. The agency was based in the scheme and was providing support to four people who lived there.

The inspection took place on 13 June 2017 and was announced. Twenty four hours’ notice was given, as this was a domiciliary care service and we wanted to make sure that people would be available to speak with us.

The service has 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.

Everyone who used the service was complimentary about the staff team and the quality of care they received. There were sufficient numbers of staff deployed to safely meet people's needs and people were supported by a small team of regular, reliable staff who knew their needs.

Staff were able to tell us about safeguarding procedures and were aware of their responsibilities to identify and report any concerns they might have. Risks to people’s health , welfare and safety had been assessed and risk assessments produced to guide staff in how to reduce these risks and keep people safe from harm.

There were clear arrangements in place for the recruitment of new staff which included checks on their suitability and character. Staff received induction and training to enable them to meet the needs of people using the service. Refresher training was provided to all staff on an ongoing basis to ensure that staff skills and knowledge were kept up to date and in line with best practice. . There was a system of supervision, appraisals and competency checks to ensure that staff were putting their training into practice.

The manager was aware of the legal requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and was aware of the process to follow when people were unable to make specific decisions about their care. The MCA provides a legal framework for making particular decisions on behalf of people who may lack the mental capacity to do so for themselves. The service supported people with decision-making and involved people’s family members or representatives in the decision-making process.

Staff had been provided with sufficient guidance and information within care records on people’s needs. Care and plans were personalised, regularly reviewed and accurately reflected people’s care and support needs including their likes and dislikes.

Staff enjoyed working at the service and were well supported by the registered manager who they found approachable and accessible.

There was a complaints procedure in place to address any formal complaints. Feedback from people who used the service was actively sought and the information was used to improve the service people received

The provider undertook checks on the quality of care and there were systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service. Action was taken to make any necessary improvements to develop the service.