Platinum living care

Updated 13 May 2022

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

This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post who was also the provider.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 28 April 2022 and ended on 04 May 2022. We visited the location’s office on 29 April 2022.

What we did before the inspection

The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who used the service and their relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with four members of staff including the provider, co-coordinator and care workers. We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at policies and procedures and quality assurance records.

Updated 13 May 2022

About the service

Platinum Living Care is a domiciliary care agency based in Chatham, Kent. The service provides personal care to people living in their own houses or flats who required support due to needs relating to their age or living with a physical disability. 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. The service was supporting five people at time of the inspection with four receiving personal care.

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

Feedback on the care provided was positive with people and their relatives telling us, “The service is very good, although we have only had them for a short time the care is certainly best I have experienced” And “I’m glad we have this service; My carer is very good, They do everything I need them to and we have a laugh together.”

People felt safe with care and support provided by regular staff who had been recruited safely. Staff had completed a company induction, mandatory training and shadowing of experienced staff to get know how people wished to be supported. Staff were monitored and checked by the provider regularly to ensure they were completing all tasks and meeting people’s needs. Risks to people were identified and actions taken to reduce the risk of harm to people.

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. All people being supported at the time of inspection were able to make their own decisions about their care.

People and their relatives told us they felt the provider and the care staff were caring, People were treated with respect; dignity was maintained, and independence was encouraged. Staff told us they are able to get to know who they are supporting as a person. Feedback from people and their relatives told us people were supported in a person-centred way.

The provider worked closely with the staff teams and staff told us they can always contact the provider if they need something. Checks and audits of the service were appropriate for the level of support being provided and were completed to ensure people were receiving good care and support. The provider had developed appropriate policies and procedures which provided guidance to staff and people using the service. Staff told us they felt valued and supported by the provider and staff we spoke with were happy working for the service.

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 30 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.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.