PCM Homecare Limited

Updated 28 August 2021

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was undertaken by 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.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced. Due to the pandemic, we gave a period of notice of the inspection to enable us to collate as much information as possible and to gather the details of people to talk with. The time spent at the provider’s office was kept to a minimum.

Inspection activity started on 9 August 2021 and ended on 19 August 2021. We visited the office location on 13 August 2021.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection

We spoke with five people and two relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with the provider, registered manager, care coordinator and two members of staff.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and three staff files in relation to recruitment, training and supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We also spoke with two professionals who had contact with the service.

Updated 28 August 2021

PCM Homecare is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people living in their own homes. The service was supporting nine people at the time of the inspection.

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 and their relatives told us they felt safe and well cared for by staff and the management. We received positive feedback about the quality of care provided.

Staff were recruited safely. People were safeguarded against the risk of abuse and were supported by a consistent team of staff who understood their needs well. Risks to people’s safety had been identified, assessed and monitored.

Systems were in place for the safe management of medicines. People were supported to take their medicines as prescribed and checks were completed of staff competency to administer medicines.

Infection prevention and control procedures followed government guidance including COVID-19 rules. Staff used personal protective equipment appropriately to keep people safe. Lessons had been learnt and improvements made as a result.

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.

Quality assurance systems were in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service people received. Staff felt supported by the registered manager and received on-going training, spot checks and supervision. There was an open culture within the service and staff worked together as a team. The registered manager worked in partnership with other health and social care professionals to ensure people’s care and support needs were met.

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 good (published 31 March 2020).

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about safeguarding and staffing. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.

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

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for PCM Homecare on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

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.