Archived: Premier Personal Care Limited

Updated 2 September 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 22 August 2017 and was announced. We told the provider three days before our visit that we would be coming. We did this because the manager is sometimes out of the office supporting staff or visiting people who use the service. We needed to be sure that they would be in. The inspection team consisted of 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.

Before the inspection, we asked the provider to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR). The provider had completed and submitted their PIR. This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also looked at previous inspection reports and notifications we had received. Services tell us about important events relating to the care they provide using a notification. This enabled us to ensure we were addressing potential areas of concern.

We undertook phone calls to ten people who used the service and four relatives. In addition we spoke with two care workers, the registered manager and two office co-ordinators. We looked at four people’s care records including medicine records and three staff files that included recruitment, supervision and training records. We also viewed a range of records about how the service was managed. After the inspection we contacted a number of external professionals and commissioners to obtain their views about the service.

Updated 2 September 2017

We inspected Premier Personal Care Limited on 22 August 2017. The service is a Domiciliary Care Agency (DCA) registered to provide personal care in people’s own homes. At the time of our inspection visit the service supported 48 people. The agency operated in Henley-on-Thames and surrounding villages.

At our last inspection on 25 May 2015 we found people's medicines were not always managed safely and risk assessments were not always complete or up to date. At this inspection we found the provider had addressed the concerns. We saw people had risk assessments where required and guidance was available to staff in how to manage these risks. People received their medicines as prescribed and we found the medicines records were completed when people were supported with taking their medicines. Medicine records were regularly audited.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The registered manager had systems to monitor the quality of the service. They ensured that the feedback from people was sought and regular checks of staff working practices were completed. The team promoted open and transparent culture. There was a clear staffing structure in place and staff were clear on their roles and responsibilities.

People told us they were safe. People were supported by sufficient staff and had regular staff. The provider ensured safe recruitment practices were followed. Staff were aware of safeguarding and how to escalate any concern including how to whistle blow if required.

People were supported by staff that had received training relevant to their roles. Staff told us and records confirmed staff were regularly supported by their line manager.

People received support that met their needs. People’s care plans were current and reflected the level of assistance required on each visit. People were supported to meet their nutritional needs and access health professionals when required. People knew how to make a complaint but told us they had never needed to.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and report on what we find. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the systems in the service supported this practice.

People complimented the staff and told us staff were “pretty marvellous”, “very good’ and ‘polite”. People’s dignity and privacy were respected. Staff ensured people were supported to maintain their independence. Staff ensured people’s confidentiality and when they spoke about people they referred to people with respect.