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Hope Care Support Limited

Overall: Requires improvement read more about inspection ratings

Business & Technology Centre, Bessemer Drive, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 2DX (01438) 310000

Provided and run by:
Hope Care Support Limited

All Inspections

During an assessment under our new approach

We undertook an inspection for Hope Care and Support Limited between 17 April 2026 and 28 April 2026. This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about the service. We served a warning notice on Hope Care Support Limited on 10 September 2025 for failing to meet the regulations relating to Safe care and treatment, Staffing and Good Governance. We issued 3 warning notices which outlined actions to take to improve people’s care. This inspection was carried out to ensure the provider had made the required improvements. We found at this assessment the provider had made the required improvements and was no longer in breach of regulations.

Hope Care and Support Limited provide personal care to people living in their own homes. The service is registered to provide personal care to people with a learning disability and autistic people and those living with dementia. At the time of our inspection, there were no people with a learning disability receiving personal care. Three people were using the service; 1 person received the regulated activity.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence, and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people. We considered this guidance as there were people using the service who have a learning disability and, or who are autistic. The service met this guidance.

The service demonstrated a positive and initiative-taking culture of safety. Staff understood how to recognise, report, and respond to incidents and safeguarding concerns. When incidents did occur, action was taken to help keep people safe. Risk assessments were person centred, regularly reviewed while managing risks around physical and emotional wellbeing and maintaining independence.

People received care in a timely way supported by enough skilled and competent staff. Recruitment processes were robust, and staff received regular training tailored to the needs of people using the service. Medicines were managed safely, and checks were in place to monitor staff that administered medication. People were cared for by staff in a safe manner that followed infection prevention and control guidance to keep them safe from risks of infection.

People were part of their assessments before they received care with involvement from relatives and health professionals when needed. Staff supported people to eat and drink, and staff monitored people's health and wellbeing and escalated concerns promptly. People had agreed to their care plan and staff sought their consent before providing care.

Since the last inspection, the leadership team had improved their approach to restrictive practices and ensured these were reviewed, justified, and aligned with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

The service was well led, with compassionate, approachable leaders who promoted openness. Staff felt supported, valued, and confident to raise concerns, and feedback was used to inform improvement. Governance systems provided oversight through audits, checks and learning from incidents. The provider collaborated effectively with partners and the wider community and now demonstrated a strong commitment to continuous learning, collaboration and improving outcomes and quality of life for people supported.

During an assessment under our new approach

Hope Care Support Ltd is a domiciliary care service providing care in people’s own homes to older people, younger adults, people living with dementia, a sensory impairment and/or a physical disability. There were three people receiving the regulated activity of personal care at the time of this assessment.

This assessment was carried out due to the previous rating and concerns we received regarding practises around people’s legal consent. This inspection was carried out with a site visit on 13 February 2025. The assessment was resumed on 17 June 2025 and ended on 24 July 2025. At our previous inspection on 25 May 2021 the provider was found to be in breach of the legal regulations in relation to training, record keeping in areas such as recruitment, care planning, risk management, staff support, and supervision. Finally, the service was not supported with an effective system to monitor and assess the quality and safety of the service people received. Some improvements were found at this inspection in relation to recording information, staff support, and supervision and the provider was no longer in breach of these regulations. However, improvements in relation to training for staff and overall governance were not found at this assessment and the provider remains in breach of this regulation.

The provider had not implemented a governance system to document their audits on the safety and quality of the service. Informal checks did not meet the requirements of the regulations and meant they may not identify areas where improvements were needed.

Staff were recruited in a safe way and were supported through supervision with their line manager. Staff competency was not routinely assessed to ensure staff practise remained safe.

People’s care records documented their changing health needs however further detail was needed to ensure they were fully personalised.

Staff demonstrated an effective, caring and responsive approach when delivering care and support.

CQC have decided to take enforcement action against the service, we will publish this information on our website after any representations and/or appeals have been concluded.

25 May 2021

During a routine inspection

About the service

Hope Care Support is a domiciliary care service providing personal care and support to two people at the time of the inspection.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

The provider did not have an effective system to monitor and assess the quality and safety of the service people received. Record keeping in areas such as recruitment, care planning, risk management, staff support, and supervision was not robust and did not support the delivery of safe and effective care. There was no clear and effective process for consulting people and relatives about changes to care.

The provider had not undertaken all the required checks to support safe recruitment of staff. The provider did not have a robust staff training programme to ensure all staff new to care completed training to the required standard. The provider did not ensure that staff were skilled and competent to undertake their role safely and effectively.

People’s care plans did not include sufficient detail about their needs and choices to ensure staff had the guidance to deliver consistent person-centred care. Staff knew about risks to people’s safety and wellbeing. However, information about risks to people was not always available to guide staff should they need to rely on this.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. The provider had a complaints and compliments policy, people had a copy of the policy in their homes to access if needed. The service did not support people with end of life needs currently.

Staff used personal protective equipment (PPE) and undertook regular testing for COVID-19 in line with government guidance. The management team provided a 24 hour on-call service and provided emergency cover if needed for staff sickness or other such events. Care workers undertook some tasks above and beyond the basic care commissioned.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 06 March 2018 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This inspection was carried out to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Enforcement

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection.

We will continue to discharge our regulatory enforcement functions required to keep people safe and to hold providers to account where it is necessary for us to do so. We have identified breaches in relation to staff recruitment processes, staff support, supervision and training arrangements and the lack of management oversight, quality assurance processes and poor record keeping at this inspection.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will meet with the provider following this report being published to discuss how they will make changes to ensure they improve their rating to at least good. We will request an action plan for the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work with the local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.