Innovative Start Ltd

Updated 26 January 2026

Date of Assessment: 15th April 2026 to 18th May 2026.

Innovative Start Ltd is a domiciliary care agency registered to provide personal care. At the time of the assessment, 30 people were receiving care to support them to live independently in their own homes.

At our previous inspection, we identified breaches of regulations relating to safe care and treatment, safeguarding, governance, failure to notify the CQC of notifiable events, and safe staffing and recruitment. We carried out this inspection to check whether improvements had been made. This inspection found that sufficient improvements have now been achieved, and the service is no longer in breach of these regulations.

There was a positive and person-centred culture within the service. People were treated with dignity and respect, and their choices, independence, and wellbeing were actively promoted. Care was delivered in partnership with people, their families, and relevant health and social care professionals to ensure coordinated and consistent support. The service met the principles of Right support, right care, right culture, people were supported in a way that recognised them as individuals, respected their rights, and promoted independence.

Staff were recruited safely and there were enough staff to meet people’s needs. They completed a structured induction, ongoing training, and received regular supervision to support them in their roles. Staff understood their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding and were confident in identifying and reporting concerns. The registered manager worked appropriately with external agencies when safeguarding issues arose.

People were supported safely. Risks were assessed and managed, and care plans were regularly reviewed to reflect people’s changing needs. Medicines were managed safely, and people were supported to access healthcare professionals when required. Staff were able to evidence an understanding of infection prevention and control and had access to appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

The provider promoted a culture of learning and continuous improvement. Incidents and feedback were reviewed to identify learning and drive improvement. People and their relatives were encouraged to raise concerns and provide feedback about the service.

Effective governance systems were in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service. The management team had oversight of care delivery and worked collaboratively with staff, families, and professionals to achieve positive outcomes. There was a strong sense of teamwork, and staff felt supported to deliver person-centred care.

Updated 26 January 2026

The provider helped people to live safely and comfortably in their own homes. Most people and their relatives spoke positively about the quality of care and told us they felt safe and well supported.

People consistently described staff as kind, respectful, and attentive. Staff maintained people’s dignity, particularly during personal care, and ensured privacy was respected. One relative told us, “The carers are lovely and conscientious. They treat [person] with dignity, [person] feels comfortable with them and they really listen.”

People were involved in planning their care and were supported to make choices about their daily routines. This included decisions about personal care and maintaining independence where possible. One person told us, “They are very polite, they listen and never rush me – they tell me to take my time.”

Feedback about staff reliability and consistency was positive. People told us carers generally arrived on time, communicated well, and demonstrated good knowledge and skills. Comments included, “Very safe… they are marvellous,” and “They are well trained, very vigilant and proactive.”

People and their relatives felt confident raising concerns and told us these would be responded to appropriately. They expressed trust in the staff and management team, describing feeling reassured and “stress free” knowing the care provided was of a good standard.

People were aware of how to contact the service, including the out-of-hours arrangements, and told us communication from management was effective. Feedback indicated management were approachable and responsive when needed. One person told us, “Yes, they are responsive to any of my concerns immediately.”