- Homecare service
Cottage HomeCare Services
Assessment report published 15 October 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
About the service
Cottage HomeCare Services is a homecare agency providing care and support to people living in their own homes and flats. At the time of the inspection the service was supporting 68 people with tasks related to personal hygiene, eating and medication administration.
Who the service is for
The service supports younger and older people some of whom have a diagnosis of dementia, mental health needs or a physical disability. The service was also supporting one person who has a learning disability
Key findings
We carried out this assessment from 25 July to 22 August. 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.
We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed autistic people and people with a learning disability respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. We were satisfied that Cottage HomeCare met the expectations of this guidance.
People were supported by enough staff who had the skills and knowledge to support them safely and were recruited safely. Staff received training and regular supervisions, which helped to ensure competency and compliance. However, some refresher training was overdue and further training was required in relation to dementia care.
Accidents and incidents were logged with information about the actions taken to help minimise the risk of further incidents. A complaints file also included learning that could be taken to help drive improvement in the service. Complaints were thoroughly investigated and a detailed letter was provided to the complainant with the outcome.
Risks were assessed and people and their families were involved in this process. There were effective systems in place to safeguard people from abuse.
Medicines were administered safely and risk assessments were in place for those who self-administered. The service used an online system which alerted management to any missed or refused medication which helped to ensure that any issues were dealt with in a timely manner. Medication audits identified areas where improvements could be made.
Care plans were created with the person and their families where appropriate and included relevant information about their care and support needs and interests. Information was gathered in a face-to-face meeting before the care commenced to ensure all important information was recorded. People were supported according to their individual needs, by staff who were caring, compassionate and familiar to them.
People received person centered care and staff liaised with other healthcare professionals to ensure their needs were met. People’s independence was promoted through a variety of aids and adaptations used in their homes to ensure they could access care and support according to their needs and mobility.
Staff were supported through regular meetings and appraisals focusing on delivering high-quality care and treating each person as an individual, ensuring that they felt valued and listened to. The registered manager was supportive and approachable and fostered an open culture where staff felt comfortable to raise concerns and were confident they would be dealt with appropriately.
There was an effective structure within the service ensuring accountability and support. People who used the service and their families spoke highly of the management and how the service was run. We saw evidence of learning and development and a drive to continuously improve the service and ensure everyone received high quality, person-centred care.
People's experience of this service
We spoke to 9 family members and 1 person who used the service to gain feedback about their experiences.
People described very positive relationships with staff and told us they or their loved ones were treated with dignity and respect. One person said, “Absolutely they are kind and caring, always treat (them) with dignity and respect, treat (them) as a friend, they love coming to see (them).” Another commented, ““Carers are all really nice, kind and respectful.”
Many people had received care for an extended period of time from Cottage Homecare and one relative commented, “Very respectful and kind carers, coming for over a year now, we have built up friendships, share stories and are chatty, a few will definitely go above and beyond.” Another said, “They do everything and have become an extension to our family, all are very good.”
People told us they felt safe and reassured by staff who understood their needs and delivered care in a consistent and supportive way. We received comments such as, “(they) feel safe and (they are) really happy with them” and “(They have) a special bed now, carers are well trained for (their) needs.” A person who used the service said, “I feel very safe.”
People told us staff arrived on time, stayed for the expected duration, and were flexible in meeting their needs. One person told us, “Carers are on time, would inform me if late but it has not happened, no missed visits, often go over and above to offer any extra support.” A relative said, “On time unless delayed, no missed visits, very good, inform us if late but not happened.”
People valued the support they received and said time was taken to make sure they were happy and received the correct level of care. The care staff were described as going “Above and beyond,” and one relative said, “Staff are well trained for (their) needs, spot on, new girls will shadow 2 experienced ones initially.”
Continuity of care was experienced and valued by most of the people using the service. One person we spoke to felt the consistency of staff could be improved but was happy with the care provided. People also had their preferences of gender for their carers respected, ensuring people were comfortable with the support they received. One person told us, “Staffing levels are pretty good, (they see) regular faces, all female”, and another said staff were, “Friendly (and) chatty”, and “(they see) familiar faces but some new staff.”
People and their relatives spoke positively about the involvement they had in care and communication with the service. Regular reviews and contact with staff and management helped people feel listened to and supported. One person said, “Care plan is kept on their phones, we keep a daily diary for us all to write in and leave messages.” Another commented, “Carers will react if (they are) unwell, very good at noticing changes in (their) behaviour.
Overall, People and their relatives were highly satisfied with the service and consistently described staff as caring, respectful, trustworthy and responsive. They felt safe receiving care, were confident in staff's abilities, and valued the positive relationships developed with carers. The service was widely regarded as well organised and professionally managed, with many respondents stating they would recommend it to others.