- Homecare service
The Service Tree Limited
Assessment report published 12 October 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
About the service
The Service Tree Limited is a home care service providing personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of this assessment, 33 people were using the service; however, only 25 were receiving the regulated activity of personal care.
Who the service is for
The service provided care and support to people of all ages, including those living with mental health conditions and dementia, in their own homes.
We carried out this assessment 14 to 16 September 2026. This service was previously rated as good. We carried out this assessment to confirm whether the rating of good remains accurate. This report does not provide detailed information on areas where we found practice continues to meet a good standard. Instead, our findings focus on any areas where the service needs to improve or where we found exceptional practice.
People received person-centred care and were supported by a staff team who knew them well. People's care was monitored regularly to ensure it continued to meet their needs. Care plans were reviewed and updated as required, reflecting changes in people's preferences, circumstances, and support requirements.
The service was well-led by experienced and knowledgeable managers. Who were compassionate, knew people well and ensured care and support was safe and effective for people. All staff spoke positively regarding the management team. Comments were, “[name] and [name] are very good leaders, they are approachable about anything. It's a lovely place to work. We are all like family and we like to help our clients and each other.” “[name] and [name] are very much approachable and the best managers one could ask for.”
Care and support were delivered in line with best practice guidance. Risks were assessed, and people were involved in the process. Risk assessments were regularly reviewed and updated to reflect people's changing needs and circumstances. One professional told us, “The Service Tree routinely seeks relevant information regarding a person's diagnosis, medication requirements, continence needs, dietary preferences, communication abilities, and any other factors necessary to provide safe and appropriate support. This proactive approach ensures that care is tailored to the individual's needs and promotes positive outcomes.”
Incidents and accidents were recorded and reviewed by the management team. Records showed action had been taken to prevent similar incidents from recurring.
There were effective systems in place to safeguard people from abuse. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and knew what action to take if they suspected abuse or had concerns about a person's safety. One staff member said, “I know how to recognise abuse, in some cases the person acts strange, they [person] have unexplained injuries. In such circumstances I would report it immediately to the company’s designated safeguarding lead, write down a report with the exact words of the service user, and record the time as well.”
Staff had been recruited safely. People were supported by enough staff who had the skills and knowledge to support them safely. Staff told us they had completed a detailed induction. One staff member said. “I had an induction at The Service Tree office. I was taught about company policies, completed the Care Certificate and did shadowing for 2 weeks. I also went to the Tuesday Social that is held by the company where I got to meet most of the clients.”
Medicines were administered safely, and systems were in place to help ensure a safe environment. For example, the provider had completed an environmental risk assessment and ensured staff were aware of the locations of gas, water, and electricity shut-off points in the event of an emergency. This helped staff respond promptly and appropriately to any risks affecting people.
People were involved in all aspects of their care. They were supported to remain independent and were provided with choice and control over how they wished to be supported. The provider arranged a social group, this was an invite to all the people they supported to meet up once a week to have social interaction with each other and the staff team. One professional told us, “I have worked in partnership with The Service Tree for several years, supporting and escorting patients to their day social group on Tuesdays. Throughout this time, I have consistently observed a high standard of person-centred care delivered by [manager] and, [manager], and the wider team. They go above and beyond to ensure that every individual feels welcomed, valued, and included.”
Systems were in place to listen to people and gather their views about the service. People could provide informal feedback, and quality assurance surveys were sent to people and staff. The feedback received was reviewed and analysed to help drive improvements and ensure the service continued to meet people's needs.
There were effective governance and management systems in place. Auditing systems were used, and regular audits were completed to enable the management team to maintain oversight of the service and identify areas for improvement. Spot checks were undertaken to ensure care was delivered in line with the provider's values and vision, and that people received safe, high-quality care. Findings from audits, spot checks, and quality assurance questionnaires were used to drive continuous improvement and address any issues identified.
People's experience of this service
We obtained feedback from people who used the service. Where people could not provide feedback, we spoke with to their family members.
People or their families told us they were safe. One person said, “It’s a very personal service and we are happy overall. [Person] is very safe with them [staff], I am away at the moment, and confident [person] is in good hands.” Another person told us, “Excellent care and [person] is very safe with them [staff] because they know what they are doing. I am not in good health, and they are our safety net.”
Everyone was treated equally and barriers were removed to ensure all people who were supported by the service received equitable care and support. One professional told us, “The service has played a significant role in providing meaningful social engagement for individuals while also offering valuable respite for carers. This support can help reduce carer stress and prevent caregiver burnout, enabling carers to continue in their caring role for longer.”
People had their medicines administered safety. One person told us, “There is a safe for the medication and they are good with the tablets and put a patch on every day too- they mark a chart with where the patch is each day so that the next carer will know where to put it when it is changed.”
People told us staff were generally on time for their care calls and stayed for the full length of the allocated visit. One person told us “Every minute is given to us, they [staff] come on time and they spend the whole 55 minutes helping us. They [staff] come bang on time.”
People were supported by regular staff who knew them well. One person told us, “We have two different carers, one female and one male and I know a week before who is coming on which day and so I am very comfortable with the service.”
People felt staff had completed training and had the skills to support them safely. One relative told us, “I think the training is very good. The carers understand [person] who is sometimes rude and tricky to deal with and they understand the dementia.”
People told us communication between them and the service was good. One person said, “The carers use an electronic App, and I can access it if I want to, but our daughter has the App and checks it regularly.”
People felt they were well cared for and supported if any risks occurred. One relative told us, “[Person] fell recently and the carer found them. They went to hospital for a couple of days. The carer called the paramedics and waited until they came. When [person] came home the agency reinstated the care immediately and a staff member was waiting for them when [they] arrived home.”
People and relatives told us staff were kind and caring. Comments were, “The carers are very lovely, and I hold them in high regard. [Person] can be quite rude, and they manage really well and will do anything for them.” “The carers I have are wonderful. They are also amazing with my dog [name] and they adore him.”
People and relatives felt the service was well manged. All the people we spoke with spoke highly of the management team. We were told, “[Management] are very good, [name] and [name] and will do anything they can to accommodate. They are flexible and helpful, and it all feels very personal.” “They [management] send out a feedback form and I give them 10/10. I know that [name] is part owner with [name], and I have a phone number if I do ever need anything.