- Homecare service
Premier Care Limited - Salford Homecare Branch
Report from 22 February 2024 assessment
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Premier Care – Salford Homecare Branch is a domiciliary care service who provide care and support to over 300 people living in their own accommodation within the Salford area. Premier Care is the main provider for the local authority in 4 of the 5 areas of Salford which are Swinton & Walkden, Little Hulton, Broughton and Ordsall. At our last inspection of the service in May 2023, we identified breaches of regulations 9 regarding Person Centred Care and 17 in relation to good governance. This was because People's care visits were not always completed in line with the agreed times as stated on their assessment, care plan and/or visit schedule and people's carer preferences were not always respected. There was also a lack of systems and processes in place to monitor the safety and quality of service provision, identify issues and ensure actions and regulatory requirements were addressed in a timely way. At this inspection carried out between March and April 2024, we found sufficient improvements had been made and the service was no longer in breach of regulations 9 and 17.
People's experience of this service
People who used the service and their relatives told us they felt the service was safe. One person said, "Yes, just knowing that they are going to call and when they are here they do what they have got to do.” A relative added, “Yes, I think [person] is safe because he is very cheerful. They come and do what they are supposed to do." Overall, the feedback we received was that staff arrived on time for care visits and stayed for the correct length of time , although some people said this was not always consistent. One person said, “Yes, she’s always on time.” Another person said, “You don’t always know what time they are coming. Sometimes they are held up and sometimes there are accidents.” People told us they were supported by staff to take their medication safely. One relative said, “Yes, they support with his medications and they are locked away because he would take them. They give them in the morning and afternoon." People also said correct control procedures were followed. One person said, “As far as I can see yes, they wear gloves and aprons.” People said they felt the service was well-led, although did report some minor issues with telephone communication and contact with the office. One person said, “If I ring up about something they always take on board what I have to say and they try to be as helpful as they can.” Another person added, "I think sometimes there’s a breakdown in communication when you cancel. One of the carers said if you cancel don’t just leave a message on the phone always speak to someone. They still send someone out even when I cancel."