Archived: Premier Care At Home

Premier Care at Home is a Domiciliary Care Agency based in Rochdale which provides care and support to people living in their own homes. There were 23 people who currently used the service.

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

Recommendations made at the last inspection for the administration of medicines had been adhered to and met the required standard. Safeguarding policies, procedures and staff training helped protect people from harm. Risk assessments helped protect the health and welfare of people who used the service. There were sufficient staff numbers to meet people’s needs.

People were supported to live healthy lives because they had access to professionals, a well-trained staff team and a choice of a nutritious diet. The service worked with other organisations to provide effective and consistent care. 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 were treated as individuals which helped protect their dignity. Staff were trained in equality and diversity. People’s equality and diversity was respected by a caring staff team and where they wished they were supported to continue with their religious needs.

People told us they felt able to raise any concerns. Activities were provided as part of people’s care package. Plans of care provided staff with necessary information to meet people’s needs. Arrangements were made to care for people at the end of their lives, when required.

The provider knew people well. People, family members and staff said managers were available and approachable. People and staff were able to air their views about how the service was run. The provider regularly audited key aspects of running the service such as plans of care and went out on visits to check staff competency.

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 (final report published 14 July 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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.

Premier Care at Home is an independent domiciliary care agency based in a secure office in the registered provider’s own home. The agency provides help and support to adults in their own homes who may have a variety of needs. Services provided included assistance with personal care if needed, music, yoga and reminiscence therapy, the preparation of meals and planned outings.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) do not require a service to have a registered manager when the registered provider is in day to day control of the service. The registered provider was present on the day of the inspection and confirmed to us that they managed the service.

The registered provider has a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. This was the agency’s first inspection since they were registered with CQC.

All the care staff who dealt with people's medicines had received medicine management training and overall we found the system for managing medicines within people's homes was safe. We have recommended however that the registered provider follows good practice guidance in relation to medication records.

People told us they felt safe with the staff that supported them and felt the staff had the right skills and experience to meet their needs.

We found sufficient suitably trained staff were employed to ensure people received the support they required. We saw that staff received the essential training and support necessary to enable them to do their job effectively and be able to care and support people safely.

We saw that suitable arrangements were in place to help safeguard people from abuse. Guidance and training was provided for staff on identifying and responding to the signs and allegations of abuse. Staff were able to demonstrate their understanding of the whistle-blowing procedures (the reporting of unsafe and/or poor practice).

We saw that appropriate arrangements were in place to assess whether people were able to consent to their care. The registered manager demonstrated a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). The MCA provides legal safeguards for people who may be unable to make their own decisions. Records showed that most of the staff had undertaken training in relation to the MCA.

People's care records contained enough information to guide staff on the care and support required. The care records showed that risks to people's health and well-being had been identified, such as the risk of poor mobility and managing their own medicines. Risks were also assessed in relation to general safety issues within people's homes. We saw that plans were in place to help reduce or eliminate any identified risk. People were involved in regular reviews of their care to ensure the care and support provided met their needs, preferences and wishes.

Arrangements were in place to help ensure the prevention and control of infection in people's homes.

To help ensure that people received safe, effective care and support, systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service provided. Systems were also in place for receiving, handling and responding appropriately to complaints.