We carried out a review of the data available to us about Prime Nursing and Care on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Prime Nursing and Care, you can give feedback on this service.
Prime Nursing and Care provides personal care and support to 27 people, living in their own homes. 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
People and their relatives, and staff spoke highly of the registered manager and was confident about the service they received. The feedback given by everyone described the service as being good and that they had developed effective and meaningful relationships with staff.
The registered manager and senior staff knew people very well. The registered manager carried out regular surveys and spot checks. Audits had been carried out, but these were not always recorded.
People were supported by regular staff, and the occurrence of experiencing late visits were minimal. People told us staff knew them well. People received their medicine at the right time and in the right way. The staff had access to protective equipment and had been trained in infection control.
Staff had been trained in a wide range of topics and told us they had an induction when they had started. People were supported to have as much choice and control over their lives and were supported in the least restrictive way possible. Policies and systems in the service support this practice.
People told us the staff were caring and treated them in a respectful and dignified way. Care plans were in place, which provided guidance for staff about how to deliver responsive care to people. At the time of the inspection, the service was not delivering care to people who were at the end of their life.
Detailed information relating to people’s health needs had been retained within people's care plans. Further development was required specifying what oral health care was needed. We have made a recommendation about oral health care.
The registered manager completed a range of risk assessments, which were person centred and detailed. There were enough staff to deliver care to people, and systems were in place to monitor the frequency of late or missed care calls.
People told us they knew how to raise a complaint if they needed to but had no reason to complain about the service received. Compliments had been made about the service.
People told us the registered manager was easily contactable and that communication was good. The registered manager had not considered how the accessible communication could be applied and needed to ensure that people had access to information in different formats which met their needs. We have made a recommendation about accessible communication.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection; he last rating for this service was Good. (16 April 2017)
Why we inspected; This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up We will continue to monitor the 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.
Prime Nursing and Care is a domiciliary care service that provides personal care to people living in their own homes. The service serves the local community around Felsted. They provide a service for adults, who are predominantly older and who may be living with dementia or adults who have a physical or learning disability. At the time of our inspection there were approximately 18 people using the service.
There was a registered manager in post. 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 legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The registered manager had appointed a general manager to assist them in the daily running of the service.
The service had been registered in September 2015. It had been set up by the owner who was also the registered manager and was the driving force behind the service. They were passionate about the care provided and about establishing a service which met the needs of the local community in a family orientated and professional style.
The manager worked alongside staff and so was able to respond promptly to concerns and ensure the service was of a good standard. They had high expectations of the quality of support to be provided and supported staff well to enable them to carry out their role. People, families and staff felt able to speak to the manager about any concerns they had. Professionals were positive about the service.
People were safe at the service. Staff provided care which was not rushed and was focused on people’s safety and wellbeing. Risk was well managed. The manager and staff had taken the necessary measures when they were concerned people were at risk of harm. Staff had been safely recruited and were well supervised in their role. Whilst none of the people required support with administration of medicines, the manager had put systems and measures in place to accommodate this safely, if required.
Staff were well matched to the people they were supporting to ensure they had the necessary skills to meet their needs. Opportunity for formal training had been limited when the service was set up however, however the manager had resolved this and a comprehensive training programme was in place. Staff worked and communicated effectively as a team and had varied opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge.
People made choices about the support they received. The manager had an understanding of their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act. People were supported to maintain a balanced diet, in line with their preferences. Staff enabled people to maintain good health and to access health and social care professionals, where necessary.
Rotas were well managed so people were supported by a small staff group. There was a focus on people rather than just the tasks being carried out. Staff had time to get to know people and to develop positive relationships with them and their families. They treated people with respect and dignity. Care was person centred and focused on the outcomes people wanted. Whilst the information in some care plans was limited, staff knew people extremely well and understood what their needs were. When people’s needs changed, the care they received was reviewed and adapted as necessary.