Prayngel Healthcare Limited

Prayngel is a care at home service providing regulated activity older people across Shropshire. At the time of our inspection there were fourteen people 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

People felt safe and were supported by trained staff who knew them well. People received their medicines as prescribed. People were supported by a regular staff team who attended people's homes at the right times and for the right amount of time. Staff wore the correct protective equipment when supporting people.

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 to eat and drink in line with their needs where they required this. Staff underwent recruitment checks prior to their employment and had access to regular supervisions.

People were supported by caring staff who respected their dignity and promoted their independence. People and those important to them felt able to give feedback about their care and were confident any feedback would be acted upon. People could access information in formats which supported their understanding.

People knew who the registered manager was and felt able to speak with them. There had been improvements made to the quality assurance processes at the services to ensure people received safe care and support.

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was good (published 12 July 2017). At this inspection the service remained good.

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about people’s care and treatment and oversight at the service. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe and well led sections of this full report.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

The second part of the inspection took place 11, 12 and 17 May 2017. The registered office for Blue Lantern Care Agency is located in Wolverhampton however the service also has an office in Manchester. An application had been submitted to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to add this location to their registration. Blue Lantern Care Agency provides personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of our inspection they were providing care to 18 people in their own homes.

Although there was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection they were not performing this role. A new manager had been appointed who was going to apply to register as the 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.

People and their relatives told us they felt safe whilst receiving care. Staff were knowledgeable about how to report any concerns about people’s safety or if they suspected any abuse. Risks to people’s health and care had been assessed and care plans had been put in place to manage them. People told us they were supported to meet their needs by sufficient staff, who stayed the correct amount of time. Recruitment processes helped to ensure only suitable staff were employed to support people in their own homes. People received their medicines on time.

People and their relatives told us the staff who supported them had been trained appropriately to meet their needs. People told us staff sought their consent before providing care. When people required support to meet their nutritional needs staff provided the support they required. People were supported to access outside health professionals if required.

People told us they were supported by kind staff who understood their needs. People and their relatives told us they were involved in planning their care. Care records were reflective of people’s current care needs. People were supported to maintain their independence. People told us staff respected their privacy and dignity and staff were able to give us examples of how they ensured people’s privacy and dignity was maintained.

Staff gave people choices about their care. Care records were written in a personalised way. People knew how to complain and said they felt able to raise any concerns they had.

Staff felt well supported by the new manager. The new manager was aware of their responsibilities in relation to their role. Some systems were in place to monitor the care people received. The new manager was looking to introduce systems to review the quality of care people received across the service.