During an assessment under our new approach
The service is a homecare service. At the time of the assessment, 8 people were receiving the regulated activity of personal care.
This service supports older people, some of whom are living with dementia, and people with physical disabilities who are living in their own homes.
We carried out this assessment from 06 August to 11 September 2026. This service was previously rated as good. We carried out this assessment to confirm whether the rating of good remains accurate. This report does not provide detailed information on areas where we found practice continues to meet a good standard. Instead, our findings focus on any areas where the service needs to improve or where we found exceptional practice.
Staff at Prestige Nursing Northampton were aware of risks to people’s safety and knew how to raise concerns. We reviewed risk management plans which contained sufficient guidance to be clearly followed. Staff understood the importance of this, and one told us they “would never carry out care or support that was outside of their care plan guidelines or that appeared unsafe or risky without seeking advice from management.”
Staff understood their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding people from abuse and the provider had effective systems in place to monitor, report and address concerns. When accidents or incidents occurred, the provider took action to ensure people’s safety and put measures in place to minimise risks to people going forward.
People’s needs were assessed before they began receiving support, and staff understood how to meet those needs and respond to changes in their wellbeing. People’s care needs were met, and staff demonstrated a person-centred approach to supporting health and wellbeing. For example, one person told us that during the Covid 19 outbreak she developed anxiety about going out. She told us how her carer “slowly, slowly started to introduce me to go back out again" and “I’d probably still be stuck in my flat, so it’s been life changing for me and helped with my mental health." Staff worked with people to achieve positive outcomes. People were supported to make their own decisions and choices, with staff routinely seeking consent before providing care and support. A staff member told us, “I enjoy supporting people to remain as independent as possible in their own homes and I value being part of a team that provides person-centred care.”
Care plans were regularly reviewed and changes made as needed. One relative told us they had a copy of the care plan, and it was reviewed every year. Another person told us their care plan had recently been reassessed and staff used it to “help her to maintain her independence”. We reviewed care plans and found some inconsistencies in them. The manager rectified these and no harm had come to people consequently. The provider is moving to a digital notes system which will help to ensure compliance with care records and the managers governance.
Staff were recruited safely and received a broad range of training to support them in their roles. They told us they felt fully supported by the manager and their supervisors and were able to contact them for advice at any time. One staff member told us, “Regular supervision and opportunities to discuss concerns are important, particularly when supporting people with more complex needs.” Another described when she reported a concern to her manager and it was dealt with and the outcome given. This meant staff felt able to discuss any issues with the manager and their supervisors which helps to ensure people have their needs met and are safe.
Robust systems were in place to manage people’s medicines and staff explained these to us including the process if they ever had any concerns about medication administering. There was staff training for safe infection prevention and control procedures. However, some people advised us that the carers had not worn suitable PPE or washed their hands enough. On these occasions they had contacted the main office, and this was quickly resolved. We discussed this with the manager during the inspection, and they assured us that further training would be provided as necessary.