- Homecare service
Grays Riverside
Assessment report published 8 July 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Grays Riverside is registered to provide personal care and treatment of disease, disorder or injury to adults aged under 65 yrs and children (0 - 18yrs) who require assistance in their own home. This service is a domiciliary care agency. At the time of our inspection 1 person was in receipt of a regulated activity. We carried out a comprehensive assessment of Grays Riverside between 10 and 18 June 2026. An announced visit was carried out at the service on 15 June 2026.
This was the first assessment for this newly registered service. Therefore, we assessed all quality statements across the safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led key questions.
During our assessment, we found care plans and risk assessments were detailed, person-centred, and combined both personal and clinical information alongside clear guidance for staff. Staff spoke positively about the records and told us they were given time to review them regularly.
Staff worked to ensure transitions between services were as smooth as possible by sharing detailed information with other professionals. For example, the service used hospital passports. These documents contained details regarding the person’s medical history, daily routines, personal preferences, and effective support methods.
Staff had been recruited safely and received training and competency assessments relevant to their roles. This helped ensure they had the skills, knowledge and experience required to support the person safely and effectively. Although feedback regarding staff morale was mixed, with some staff describing morale as low, all staff told us they felt able to raise concerns with the registered manager and were confident these would be listened to and acted upon. Staff were also aware of other routes available to them should they need to raise concerns.
There was a focus on learning and continuous improvement within the service. Staff explained learning was shared through regular team meetings, helping to promote practice and develop staff knowledge. Governance arrangements were effective, and the registered manager demonstrated a good oversight of the service through regular involvement with the person, staff and family.
People's experience of this service
A relative provided positive feedback regarding the quality of care. They described staff as responsive and person-centred, stating staff were usually punctual and responded promptly to changes in the person's needs.
The relative we spoke to felt confident raising concerns and told us the registered manager would listen and take appropriate action. They shared examples of concerns being addressed through additional staff training and improvements in practice. They particularly praised the clinical leadership within the service and commented, “the clinical leads are excellent.”
We were told staff knew the person well and adapted support to meet their individual needs. They were also positive about the care planning process, explaining they had been involved in developing and reviewing the care plan and felt it was thorough and personalised. When discussing the care plan, they said, “It’s very, very good, it’s very thorough. That’s what I like most about them, they are very thorough. They risk assess everything. Everything is personalised.”
Further feedback highlighted the service’s proactive approach to managing health needs and commitment to continuous improvement. A relative shared examples of staff researching the person's condition, identifying changes in their health and providing support that enabled the family to access activities and holidays safely. They told us the service “constantly try to improve” and described feeling both supported and educated by staff.