Premier Care Limited - Rochdale Branch

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

People were provided with safe care and support. Safe systems of recruitment were in place and people told us they felt safe. Risks were well managed. Medicines were stored and administered safely.

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. People’s needs were assessed before they started to use the service. The service was well organised and visits were rarely missed or late. Staff received the induction, training and support they needed to carry out their roles effectively. People's nutritional and health needs were met.

People told us staff were caring and kind and spoke fondly about the staff who supported them. People said, “There is always a smile when they come. I wouldn’t swap them.” Staff and managers knew people well. People were treated with respect and dignity; staff supported people to maintain their independence.

People were provided with personalised care that took account of their needs, wishes and preferences. Care records were person centred. There was an appropriate system in place to manage complaints. People’s wishes for end of life care and support were identified, respected and recorded if they wished.

There were good systems of quality assurance checks and audits. Everyone was positive about the registered manager and the way the service was managed and organised. The registered manager was committed to providing responsive, person centred care and support. Staff we spoke with shared this commitment. The provider had notified the Care Quality Commission (CQC) of significant events such as safeguarding concerns.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published June 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on our published methodology.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The service changed their location and this is the first rated inspection at the new location.

Staff we spoke with were aware of how to protect vulnerable people and had safeguarding policies and procedures to guide them, which included the contact details of the local authority to report to.

Recruitment procedures were robust and ensured new staff should be safe to work with vulnerable adults.

Risk assessments for health needs or environmental hazards helped protect the health and welfare of people who used the service but did not restrict their lifestyles.

Staff were trained in the administration of medicines and managers checked the records to help spot any errors and keep people safe.

Staff were trained in infection control topics and issued with personal protective equipment to help prevent the spread of infection.

Staff received an induction and were supported when they commenced employment to become competent to work with vulnerable people. Staff were well trained and supervised to feel confident within their roles. Staff were encouraged to take training in health and social care topics.

People were supported to take a healthy diet if required and staff were trained in food safety.

Staff told us how they would support someone if they thought their liberty was being deprived to help protect their rights.

We observed a good rapport between people who used the service and the care coordinator. People who used the service told us staff were reliable and they knew them well.

Personal records were held securely to help protect people’s privacy.

There was a complaints procedure for people to raise any concerns they may have.

People were assisted to attend meaningful activities if it was a part of their support package.

Plans of care gave staff clear details of what care people needed. People helped develop their plans of care to ensure the care they received was what they wanted.

There were systems in place to monitor the quality of service provision and where needed the manager took action to improve the service.

The office was suitable for providing a domiciliary care service and was staffed during office hours. There was an on call service for people to contact out of normal working hours.

People who used the service thought managers were accessible and available to talk to.