We carried out a review of the data available to us about Premier 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 Premier Care, you can give feedback on this service.
Premier Care is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of inspection, the service was providing personal care to 291 people. This includes 44 people being supported through the enablement service. This service provides time limited support to assist people coming out of hospital to regain as much of their independence as possible.
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
Feedback about the culture of the service and care provided from people and their representatives was largely positive.
The provider had resolved concerns raised at our last inspection. They were committed to developing flexible care which met the needs of the local community. They worked well with other organisations to achieve this aim, in particular in enabling people to return home safely from hospital.
Recruitment processes had improved. The service had enough appropriately skilled staff to meet people’s needs and keep them safe. Staff were largely positive about the service. The provider had introduced a new role of care coordinator to support staff wellbeing.
The provider had a range of quality checks which helped senior staff ensure care was safe and met people’s needs. The registered manager took prompt action when concerns were raised.
The registered manager minimised risk across the service. Risk assessments were personalised, and care plans had been improved to provide staff with detailed guidance on how to support people safely.
Safeguarding practices protected people from the risk of abuse. Senior staff were working to ensure staff felt able to speak out when they had concerns. Staff supported people to take their medicines safely, and as prescribed. Staff minimised the risk of infection.
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.
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. 'Right support, right care, right culture' is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.
The provider demonstrated an understanding of Right support, right care, right culture. Although very few people with a learning disability and autistic people were supported by the service, the provider had systems in place to ensure their needs were met in a person-centred manner.
Right Support:
Staff focused on people’s strengths and promoted what they could do.
Right Care:
People’s care and support plans reflected their range of needs.
Right Culture:
People’s quality of life was enhanced by the service’s culture of improvement and inclusivity.
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 overall good, with requires improvement in safe (published 8 July 2021).
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our reinspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
Premier Care is a large domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. At the time of the inspection 393 people were using the service.
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
Staff did not always have sufficient guidance in place to ensure they knew how to manage the risks relating to people’s health needs safely.
The provider had not always followed appropriate recruitment processes to ensure staff were safely employed.
We have made a recommendation about the provider’s recruitment processes.
People told us they felt safe. Staff had received safeguarding training and knew how to raise concerns; however, they told us they did not always feel their concerns were listened to.
People’s end of life wishes had not been assessed or recorded. The provider responded promptly following the inspection to adapt their documentation relating to people’s end of life care wishes.
People received their medicines as prescribed and people’s care plans detailed how they liked to be supported with their medicines. Staff received an induction and training relevant to their role and the registered manager monitored staff training to ensure it remained up to date.
Staff followed safe infection prevention and control processes and the provider had implemented polices and guidance to support staff practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
People and relatives told us staff were kind and caring. People told us they felt listened to and able to make choices. 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 supported by a consistent staff team who knew them well and their care was personalised. The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service and worked effectively alongside other health professionals to meet people’s needs. People and relatives spoke positively about the culture and management of 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
This service was registered with us on 16 August 2019 and this is the first inspection.
The last rating for the service under the previous provider was Good, published on 1 September 2017.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection as the service had not been rated.
The inspection was also prompted in part by notification of a specific incident following which a person using the service sustained a serious injury. This incident is subject to a criminal investigation. As a result, this inspection did not examine the circumstances of the incident.
The information CQC received about the incident indicated concerns about the management of risk. This inspection examined those risks.
We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements in this area. Please see the Safe section of this full report.
Following the inspection, the provider took action to mitigate the risks identified.
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.