Background to this inspection
Updated
4 April 2020
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 Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by one inspector 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 care service.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure the registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 21 January 2020 and ended on 10 February 2020. We visited the office location on 21 January 2020 and contacted people and care staff by telephone and email to gather their views between 23 January 2020 and 10 February 2020.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed the information we held about the service including feedback from the local authority and notifications of significant events the registered manager had sent to us. 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 of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with the registered manager and the provider’s area manager. We reviewed a range of records including the care records for three people and four staff files in relation to recruitment, training and supervision. We also looked at a range of records relating to the management of the service.
After the inspection
We contacted ten people who used the service and two relatives to gather their views. We also contacted two care staff to gather their views of the service.
Updated
4 April 2020
About the service
Premier Care Limited - Cumbria Branch provides personal care to people in their own homes. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive a regulated activity. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of our inspection 40 people were receiving personal care.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were protected from abuse and harm. There were enough staff to support people. The staff supported people to take their medicines as their doctors had prescribed. The staff protected people from the risk of infection. The provider had systems in place to ensure lessons were learnt from any incidents to maintain the safety of the service.
The registered manager assessed people’s needs and people received the support they required. The staff were trained, skilled and competent to provide people’s care. The staff supported people as they needed with preparing their meals and drinks. The staff identified if people required medical assistance and supported them to access appropriate healthcare services. People made decisions about their care and their rights were protected. 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.
The staff treated people with respect and were kind and caring towards them. People valued the service and it enhanced their lives. The staff and registered manager asked people for their views about their care and respected the decisions they made. The staff respected people’s privacy and promoted their dignity and independence.
People received person-centred care that met their needs and took account of their wishes. The registered provider had an effective procedure for receiving and managing complaints about the service. People received the support they needed at the end of their lives.
People knew the registered manager and said the service was well-run. The registered manager had developed a positive culture and was committed to providing people with high-quality care. The provider and registered manager understood their responsibilities under the duty of candour. They had been open and honest with people when incidents occurred. People were asked for their views and said they would recommend 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: The last rating for this service was good (published 21 July 2017).
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.