Human Support Group Limited - Middlesbrough

Human Support Group is a domiciliary care agency that provides care and support to people in their own homes. At the time of the inspection the service provided care and support to 41 people.

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.

At the last inspection in February 2016, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

The provider had arrangements in place to protect people from risks to their safety and welfare, including the risks of avoidable harm and abuse. Staffing levels were sufficient to support people safely and in line with their agreed care visits. A number of recruitment checks were carried out before staff were employed to ensure they were suitable.There were arrangements in place to protect people from risks associated with the management of medicines and the spread of infection.

We have made a recommendation about the timings of medicine administration.

Care and support were based on detailed assessments and care plans, which were reviewed and kept up to date. Staff received appropriate training and supervision to maintain and develop their skills and knowledge to support people according to their needs. 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. Where appropriate, people were supported to eat and drink enough to maintain their health and welfare. People were supported to access healthcare services, such as GPs and occupational health.

Care workers had developed caring relationships with people they supported and knew people well. People were supported to take part in decisions about their care and treatment, and their views were listened to. Staff respected people's independence, privacy, and dignity.

People's care and support considered people's abilities, needs and preferences, and reflected their physical, emotional and social needs. People were kept aware of the provider's complaints procedure which would come into place if any complaints were received.

Effective management systems were in place to monitor the quality of care provided and to promote people's safety and welfare.

We have made a recommendation about collecting feedback from people who use the service.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found