Archived: Prestige Nursing Sleaford

Updated 26 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 registered persons continued to meet the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Before the inspection, the registered persons completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks them to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also examined other information we held about the service. This included notifications of incidents that the registered persons had sent us since our last inspection. These are events that happened in the service that the registered persons are required to tell us about. We also invited feedback from one of the local authorities who contributed to the cost of some of the people who lived in the service. We did this so that they could tell us their views about how well the service was meeting people’s needs and wishes.

We visited the service’s office on 21 August 2017. The inspection team consisted of a single inspector and the inspection was announced. We gave the registered persons a short period of notice. This was because they are sometimes out of the office and we needed them to be there to contribute to the inspection.

During the inspection visit we spoke with a member of care staff and the recruitment consultant. The recruitment consultant oversaw the training provided for care staff and also completed some of the introductory visits to meet with people when they were deciding whether to use the domiciliary care service. We also spoke with the care coordinator. They were based in the office and who organised the weekly work rosters in the domiciliary care service that listed the visits each member of care staff was due to complete. In addition, we met with the field care supervisor who also worked in the domiciliary care service. This member of staff both completed visits to people’s homes and checked that care staff were working in the right way. We also spoke with the registered manager.

While at the office we looked at the care records for three of the people who received assistance at home. We also examined records that related to how both parts of the service were managed including staffing, training and quality assurance.

On 22 August 2017 we spoke by telephone with three people who used the service the domiciliary care service and with four of their relatives. We did this so that they could tell us about their experiences of using the service. In addition, we telephoned six care staff for them to tell us how well they were supported by the service to care for people.

Updated 26 September 2017

Prestige Nursing Sleaford is registered to provide nursing and personal care for people of all ages who live at home. The service is also registered as a nurses’/care staff agency. As such it can provide nurses and care staff to work in residential settings that are run by other registered persons. In our report we refer to these parts of the service as being the ‘domiciliary care service’ and the ‘nurses’/care staff agency’ respectively. When reporting our findings we generally refer to care staff working in both parts of the service unless otherwise stated.

At the time of our inspection visit, both parts of the service only provided personal care. The domiciliary care service provided assistance for 63 people who lived in Sleaford, Ruskington, Heckington and Helpringham. The nurses’/care staff agency provided a small number of care staff who worked in five residential care settings all of which were located in south Lincolnshire. These members of staff were provided on a shift by shift basis as and when requested.

As part of its domiciliary care provision, the service also delivered palliative care. This part of the service covered the whole of the county. It involved care staff providing intensive personal care for people who were receiving care at home and who were nearing their end of their lives.

The service's office was in Sleaford.

Prestige Nursing Sleaford is operated by a company. There was a registered manager. 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. In this report when we speak about both the company and the registered manager, we refer to them as being, 'the registered persons'.

At the last inspection on 13 August 2015 the service was rated ‘Good’.

At this inspection we found the service remained ‘Good’.

Care staff knew how to keep people safe from the risk of abuse including financial mistreatment. People had been helped to avoid preventable accidents and medicines were safely managed. There were enough care staff in the domiciliary care service and planned visits had been reliably completed. Background checks had been completed before new care staff had been appointed.

Care staff had received training and guidance and they knew how to care for people in the right way. In the domiciliary care service people were supported to prepare meals and care staff made sure that they had enough to eat and drink. In addition, people had been helped to obtain all of the healthcare assistance they needed.

In the domiciliary care service people were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and care staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. Policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People who used the domiciliary care service people told us that they were treated with compassion and respect. Care staff recognised people’s right to privacy and promoted their dignity. When necessary, people had been supported to access independent lay advocates and confidential information was kept private.

Care staff in the domiciliary care service had involved people and their relatives in making decisions about the care that was provided. People had been given all of the assistance they had agreed to receive. Care staff promoted people’s ability to pursue their hobbies and interests. There were arrangements for quickly and fairly resolving complaints.

People who used the domiciliary care service had been consulted about the development of the service and quality checks had been completed. There was an established staff team and good team work was promoted. Care staff had been supported to speak out if they had any concerns about people not receiving safe care.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.