Background to this inspection
Updated
9 March 2023
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of
our regulatory functions. We checked 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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by 2 inspectors and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a
person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of service.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.
Registered Manager
This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this
location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage
the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the
quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 24 hours' notice of our inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the
provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since their registration. We sought feedback
from the local authority. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this
inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the
service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we
inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all this information to plan our
inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke via telephone with 5 people using the service and 5 relatives, who had given us permission to
contact them. We also spoke to 8 staff including the registered manager, the area manager and care staff.
We looked at a range of records. This included 4 staff recruitment files, records relating to medicines,
training and supervisions, accidents and incidents and safeguarding logs, care records and policies and
procedures.
Updated
9 March 2023
About the service
Premier Care Blackburn Branch is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were 187 people using this service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Medicines were not always managed safely. Audits were carried out but did not pick up on errors found during the inspection. Risks were not being managed safely. Risk assessments relating to people’s specific health conditions were not always in place. Accidents and incident records were completed and identified trends and themes. IPC practices where in place and supplies of PPE were available. Recruitment processes were not always being followed. We were told there was enough staff to safely meet people’s needs however, visits were not always lasting the full length of the duration set out in people’s care plans. A safeguarding policy was in place and staff were aware of the safeguarding procedures.
Care plans and risk assessments were not always in place for people that use the service. Staff received training and regular competency checks. Staff worked alongside other agencies to promote good outcomes and the registered manager had systems in place to make referrals to other healthcare professionals.
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.
Staff spoke positively about the people they support and the work they do. People and their relatives also spoke highly of the service. Staff were described as responsive, experienced and polite. Staff had training in privacy and dignity. Spot checks were carried out by senior management to ensure staff were providing person centred care.
Care plans were not always person centred and held conflicting information about people’s care needs. Concerns were raised about visit lengths by relatives of people that use the service. End of life care was being considered and recorded where appropriate.
Governance systems were not always effective. There was limited evidence of the provider’s oversite of the service and the systems in place. Feedback forms from people evidenced on-going issues that were found during the inspection. Relatives and staff spoke highly of the registered manager.
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 11 March 2021 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.
The registered manager and provider have been responsive to the feedback provided during the inspection and have implemented changes to improve the quality and safety of the service.
Enforcement and Recommendations
We have identified breaches in relation to assessing and managing risk , the management and administration of medicines and governance .
Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.
Follow up
We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.