- Homecare service
Saint Andrews Limited Also known as Home Instead Oxford
Assessment report published 28 August 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of assessment: 25 June 2026 to 23 July 2026.
Saint Andrews Limited, also known as Home Instead Oxford, is a domiciliary care service providing the regulated activity of personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of the assessment, Saint Andrews Limited was supporting 49 people with personal care in their own homes.
At the time of the assessment the provider did not have a registered manager, however the care manager was in the process of applying to become registered manager with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The provider delivered person-centred care that placed people firmly at the heart of decision-making and support. People received comprehensive assessments before commencing care, which enabled the provider to fully understand their needs, preferences and goals, and ensured the service could safely and effectively meet those needs. People were introduced to staff who would support them before care commenced and were supported by a small, consistent team of staff, helping to promote continuity of care and the development of positive, trusting relationships.
There was a proactive and positive culture of safety across the service. Incidents and accidents were reported, reviewed and analysed, and lessons learned were identified and shared with staff to help drive improvements and reduce the likelihood of recurrence.
People's individual risks were assessed and managed through personalised risk assessments, including for specific health conditions such as epilepsy. Staff supported people to take positive risks where appropriate, promoting independence whilst maintaining safety.
The provider had invested significantly in workforce development. The introduction of the provider's own Care Skills Academy demonstrated a commitment to ensuring staff had the knowledge and skills required to deliver high-quality care. Staff completed comprehensiveinduction and training programmes and were supported through regular competency assessments, spot checks and ongoing development opportunities.
Staff demonstrated a detailed understanding of the people they supported and consistently treated people with exceptional kindness, compassion and respect. People were supported in a way that recognised their individuality, promoted their dignity and maximised their independence.
The provider demonstrated an exceptional commitment to staff wellbeing and had implemented a wide range of initiatives to support employees both personally and professionally. The provider actively encouraged staff to share ideas, provide feedback and raise concerns and had introduced a range of initiatives to strengthen staff engagement and involvement in service development.
The care manager worked closely with external professionals to help people and their relatives understand the range of health and social care services available to them. The provider had undertaken extensive work to develop strong relationships with health and social care professionals, community organisations and local networks. This helped ensure people could access relevant information, services and support and reflected the provider's commitment to serving the wider community.
Further work was required to strengthen medicines management systems, particularly in relation to the provision of clear and consistent protocols for the administration of 'as required' (PRN) medicines. In addition, end of life planning was not always sufficiently developed and would benefit from a more proactive approach to ensure people's wishes and preferences were explored and documented at an earlier stage.
People's experience of this service
People and their relatives spoke consistently positively about the provider and the care and support they received. Comments included, “I would highly recommend this excellent service, who have not only supported my physical health but also been a great comfort and support,” and “We are absolutely delighted with the carers.” Feedback reflected high levels of satisfaction with both the quality of care and the positive impact it had on people's lives.
People told us they were involved in planning their care and support and were given opportunities to contribute to the development of their care plans. One person told us, “I have a care plan which I helped create.”
People and their relatives consistently spoke positively about the staff who supported them, describing them as kind, caring and respectful. Feedback indicated staff treated people with dignity and compassion and took time to understand their individual needs and preferences.
People and their relatives also told us the provider was flexible and responsive to their needs. One person said, “The carers are always responsive to all our care needs, abundantly.” This reflected the provider's commitment to delivering personalised care that could adapt to people's changing circumstances and preferences.
Feedback about the management of the service was equally positive. People described the service as well organised and told us management staff were approachable, helpful andresponsive. One person told us, “The company is really well organised and all the staff I have had contact with have always been 100% helpful.”
Overall, feedback from people and their relatives demonstrated they felt well supported, involved in decisions about their care and confident in the quality of the service they received.