PentaCare (West Suffolk)

Updated 21 August 2025

This inspection took place between 03 March 2026 to 13 April 2026 and was announced. Pentacare West Suffolk is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people living in their own homes. CQC inspects only where personal care is provided, such as support with personal hygiene and eating, and considers any wider social care offered alongside this.

At the time of our inspection the service was supporting 12 people with the regulated activity of personal care. The nature of the service provision included scheduled home visits and live in care. All quality statements under each of the five key questions were included.

We assessed the service against ‘right care, right support, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence, and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. We found people received care in accordance with this guidance and care workers and staff had received appropriate training relating to people with a learning disability and autistic people.

People were safe and comfortable in the presence of the staff that supported them in a person-centred way which encouraged their independence and promoted their dignity.

People and their relatives shared that staff were kind and caring and treated them with empathy and compassion. People were supported to make their own decisions and staff respected their choices.

Risk assessments were in place to manage specific risks relating to people’s mobility, health conditions and their environment, and staff were knowledgeable about how to manage these risks. Staff received a thorough induction and were trained to meet the needs of the people they supported. Where people received support with their medicines these were administered safely.

People received their care calls on time and by staff that were known to them. Staff had enough time to meet people’s needs safely and for staff to engage positively with them. Where changes in people’s care calls were needed, the registered manager was flexible and ensured care continued to meet people’s needs in the way they wanted.

Care plans were person-centred and staff were knowledgeable about people’s likes and dislikes and preferences for care. The registered manager and staff worked closely with health professionals to ensure people received the care they needed and achieved positive health outcomes.

The registered manager had established a clear, learning culture in the service. They were passionate and committed to ensuring positive outcomes for people. Staff were motivated, felt supported in their role and morale was good. The management team were accommodating and adaptable towards people and staff, making changes to the rotas when needed.

Effective systems were in place to check the quality of the service, and the registered manager was proactive in addressing any concerns identified to improve care and the quality of the service going forward. The management team were involved in the local community and had an open-door policy to the office. This enabled the public to visit and receive information about services they would benefit from.

Updated 21 August 2025

People and relatives were positive about the care they received and were complimentary about the staff that supported them. One relative shared, “The care is good, we cannot fault anything.” Another said, “All Pentacare staff are very well trained, they go out of their way to complete tasks, nothing is ever not done, nothing is too much trouble.”

People and relatives told us staff almost always arrived at the agreed time (and if not, they were informed of this). They also confirmed the staff stayed for the duration of calls, were not rushed and did not leave early. Where people had live-in care, the arrangements were confirmed prior to the staff member moving into the person’s home. This included an agreed tailored care package with clear rest and break times and handovers.

People had developed positive relationships and rapport with the management team and staff. One person told us, “The care is good, they can’t do enough for me. I am very happy, no complaints.”

People and relatives told us staff were respectful of their choices and decisions and were knowledgeable about people’s health conditions, understanding how to support them safely and effectively.

People and relatives found the management team were flexible in making changes to rotas to suit their needs and ensure their care needs were met in the way they preferred.

People’s care plans contained person-centred information that helped staff understand their background, preferences, and what was important to them. This contributed towards meaningful engagement and positive interactions. Care plans set out not only people’s physical health needs but also their emotional, sensory and communication needs, ensuring support was delivered in a person-centred way that enhanced people’s quality of life.

People’s needs were regularly assessed, and care plans were implemented in response to these assessments. People and, where appropriate, their relatives were involved in the planning of the support provided and were offered choice. One relative told us, “I feel I am updated and kept involved with any changes.”

People felt their voices were heard and they were treated with respect. People and relatives were comfortable with approaching the management team with any concerns they had and were confident the registered manager would address them.