Background to this inspection
Updated
7 August 2019
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 an inspector and two Experts by Experience. An 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 younger adults and older people living in their own houses. Some of the people live with physical disability and / or dementia.
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
This inspection was unannounced.
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 3 June 2019 and ended on 13 June 2019. We visited the office location on 12 June 2019.
What we did before inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with 11 people who used the service and eight relatives of other people. We spoke about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with four members of staff including the provider, registered manager and two care workers.
We reviewed a range of records. This included six people’s care 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.
Updated
7 August 2019
About the service
Primrose Homecare Ltd is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people who live 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. At the time of our inspection 30 people used the service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People consistently experienced good care because the service was exceptionally well-led and organised. The provider’s values were shared and practiced by staff who people often referred to as being like family members.
The provider supported people to expand their social circle and to be as active as they wanted to be in the local community. This protected people from the disadvantages of social isolation and loneliness.
People told us they felt safe because of the quality of care they experienced. The provider took exceptional care when recruiting new staff to ensure they met the values of the service. Care workers understood and practised their responsibilities to keep people safe from harm.
People were supported by care workers who had the right skills and knowledge to provide care that met people’s assessed needs. 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 consistently told us that care workers were kind and caring. They told us care workers often went the extra-mile to support them with their needs and preferences. Care workers respected people, treated them with dignity and involved them in decisions about their care.
People experienced continuity of care because they were supported by a core team of care workers who understood their needs. This meant people experienced care and support that was responsive to their needs. People consistently reported that they were very satisfied with the quality of care and support they experienced.
The provider had a clear vision of providing care and support that maintained people’s independence and quality of life. Staff were motivated by this and were committed to providing high quality care. The provider used people’s feedback to drive improvements and they continually sought ways to further enhance people’s experience of the service and to support people to be active members of their community.
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 (report published 17/09/2016).
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.