- Homecare service
3 County Care
Assessment report published 17 August 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
About the service
We carried out this assessment from 22 July to 6 August 2026. 3 County Care is a care at home service providing personal care to older people, including people living with dementia, mental health conditions, physical disabilities and sensory impairments. At the time of the assessment, 26 people were using the service and receiving personal care.
The service was registered to provide support to people living with a learning disability, although no one had a diagnosis at the time of the assessment. We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, 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 community facilities. We were assured the provider and staff demonstrated these principles.
The service is also registered as a supported living service, although at the time of our assessment there was no one receiving a regulated activity. We therefore did not assess this part of their registration.
Key findings
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.
People received support from staff who understand their individual needs and preferences, alongside a commitment to help them remain independent within their own homes. One person told us, “I find everyone so accommodating and caring. I have contacted them about changing the time of the call and they are sorting that out; they are very quick at suiting each individual.”
Care plans reflected people’s needs, wishes and preferences. These included the support people required with day-to-day tasks, such as ordering medicines, managing appointments, food shopping and maintaining their home. There was detailed information about people’s religious beliefs and cultural preferences, including how they wished to engage with their faith. Staff and leaders understood people’s protected characteristics and describe how care was adapted to meet people’s needs. For example, scheduling care visits around prayer times and religious observances.
Home environmental risk assessments were completed to identify potential hazards that could affect people’s safety and wellbeing. Leaders used information from accidents and incidents to identify opportunities for learning and improvement. Leaders worked with people, relatives and healthcare professionals to review risks and plan ahead for the future. This included obtaining appropriate equipment and supporting people to make changes to their home environment to ensure they remained safe as their health conditions progressed. For example, the provider supported changes to rooms layouts and thresholds between different types of flooring. One relative told us, “I find that [The Registered Manager] will make suggestions before I have even thought of the issue; I don’t know what I don’t know, so this is really useful as they have experience across the sector.”
Staff spoke about people with kindness, compassion and respect. Staff promoted people’s right to make their own choices and ensured concerns were recorded promptly and accurately. Leaders supported appropriate actions and worked with healthcare professionals to ensure people received timely access to additional services.
Care plans contained clear guidance for staff on actions to take should there be a change in people’s health. People received care and support that was informed by best practice guidance and tailored to their individual preferences and needs.
Staff also worked closely with healthcare professionals when people’s needs changed to ensure they received timely support. For example, staff monitored people’s skin and promptly reported concerns. Where damage was identified, referrals were made and staff followed guidance to promote healing and reduce the risk of further deterioration. Staffing arrangements were planned around people’s assessed needs, and training and competency processes helped ensure staff were equipped with skills and knowledge required to provide safe care. One relative told us, “When the staff are with [person] it is all very relaxed; it is all very equal, very inclusive. The staff are grounded in their knowledge of dementia; they will make sure they sit with [person] at eye level and explain things to them.”
Medicines were managed safely, with systems in place to monitor administration processes and address any concerns. One relative told us, “The staff remind [person] to take their tablets and the dosage can change. They will let us know if there are any issue with the tablets and if they think that [person] is having a relapse in their health.”
Leaders were visible and approachable. They promoted a clear vision centred on providing person-centred care and a positive working culture. One staff member told us, “[The Registered Manager] is very supportive with all the staff. They are open and honest. We communicate together as a team, if someone goes off, we help each other, cover the calls. It is one the best teams I have ever worked for.”
Governance arrangements provided effective oversight of the service’s performance. Leaders used regular spot checks and feedback from people to review care arrangements and opportunities to improve people’s quality of life. Schedules were reviewed and adjusted to provide flexibility, enabling people to attend activities at their local day centre, shopping or meeting other people for coffee. These changes reduced isolation and enabled people to maintain interests and relationships.
People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment with appropriate legal authority. This can be done through a procedure called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which is part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). When people receive care and treatment in their own homes an application must be made to the Court of Protection for them to authorise people to be deprived of their liberty. At the time of assessment, no one was deprived of their liberty or had any restrictions placed on them.
People's experience of this service
We received positive feedback from relatives about their experience using the service. They told us that suggestions and conversations were continuous and ongoing. One person said, “I just speak to [the Registered Manager] when the need arises and that works very well.”
People felt involved in care planning and reviews. Where risks had been identified, people told us they were involved in decisions about how these should be managed. One relative told us, “An assessment was completed initially of all [person’s] needs, and a care plan was produced. The care plan has undergone various changes, including hours being increased, as necessary. I also make changes with [the Registered Manager] when they are needed.”
Relatives felt leaders were responsive when people’s needs changed. One relative told us, “[The Registered Manager] suggested that [person] would need more visits to support them during the day. When [person] was discharged from hospital, they had made sure that the extra care was already in place and ready for them.”
Relatives told us they felt confident in the staff visiting people, saying they arrived at agreed times and carried out tasks safely. One relative told us, “[Person] has allocated social hours with the staff which they use to go out for coffee and shopping. The staff have also accompanied [person] to a few doctor’s appointments, and the service is very good at being flexible with times to support this.”
Another relative told us, “There is a clear plan each week of what the carers are expected to do on each day, and they clarify this with [person] at the beginning of each visit. They are very good and they help [person] to be organised; to guide them.”
People consistently described caring and compassionate relationships with staff where independence was promoted. One relative told us, “The staff help [person] with showering and getting their breakfast. They do not take away their independence, but support, advise and encourage them to do things themself. The staff are really quite amazing.”
Relatives told us how staff supported people to maintain relationships that were important to people. One relative told us, “The carers go over and above of what they need to do, they will take [person] out in a wheelchair to see another family member. I am so impressed as they are so accommodating and caring.”
Leaders recognised the importance of maintaining independence and working with people to achieve outcomes that mattered to them. One relative told us, “The staff have offered advice such as a different kind of knife and fork for [person] to use so that they can cut their food easier.