Premier Community Services

Updated 28 September 2018

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, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This was a comprehensive inspection. The inspection took place on 23 and 24 August 2018 and was announced. We gave the service one week’s notice of the inspection visit because the location provides a domiciliary care service. We needed to ensure the registered manager would be available during our inspection to enable us to look at records they are required to maintain. We also wanted to give them enough time to seek agreement with people using the service to allow us to visit them in their homes.

The inspection was carried out by one inspector. Before the inspection we asked the provider to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR). The PIR is a form that asks the registered provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also looked at information we had received about the service since the last inspection, such as notifications about significant incidents, and information from people who use the service, staff, relatives and other professionals. Before the inspection we sent out questionnaires to people who used the service, relatives and staff and their responses helped us to reach our judgements about the service. After the inspection two members of staff contacted us by e mail to tell us their experiences of working for Premier Community Services.

On the first day of the inspection we visited the agency office where we met with the registered manager, the providers and four members of staff. We looked at three recruitment files, staff training records, staff supervision and monitoring records, staff weekly rotas and timetables sent to people each week to let them know who will be visiting. We looked at the electronic care planning system which included daily records and medicine administration records. On the second day of the inspection we visited three people in their homes, and spoke with two people on the telephone.

Updated 28 September 2018

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 23 and 24 August 2018.

Premier Community Service is a domiciliary care service. They provide assistance to older people, and people living with disabilities who require support with personal care and daily living tasks. The agency is based in Exmouth and provides a service to people living in Exmouth and the surrounding area. At the time of this inspection they provided personal care to approximately 48 people.

At our last inspection we rated the service as Good overall. We rated the Safe domain as requires improvement because satisfactory recruitment checks had not been carried out. At this inspection we found action had been taken to address the previous issues we found relating to recruitment. This domain is now rated as Good. The evidence continued to support the rating of Good overall and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

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At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good

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 is also the provider.

People told us they felt safe. Care was taken to recruit and select the right staff for the job. Recruitment processes helped the provider choose applicants with the right values and caring qualities for the job. Staff had received training on safeguarding and knew how to identify and report any concerns about potential abuse.

Risks to people’s health and safety had been assessed and staff had been given information and training about these as well. Staff understood specific health conditions and knew how to recognise signs of illness and when to seek medical intervention. People were supported to manage their medicines safely.

People told us the service was effective. Comments included “I have been having wonderful care from this agency” and “I have no problems whatsoever. I would recommend them to anyone.” People received a reliable service from small teams of staff who knew them well and understood their needs. Staff were well trained and well supported. Staff had the skills and information they needed to ensure people’s needs were fully met.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Consent to care and treatment was always sought in line with legislation and guidance. The service understood their legal responsibility to ensure they complied with the Mental Capacity Act. People receive support from staff who respected and promoted equality and diversity.

People told us the staff were always caring. Comments from people included “They are good, kind, caring and professional”, “The carers behave like friends and I look forward to seeing them” and “They are all very kind.” Staff were compassionate and understood the things that mattered to people. We heard examples of how they had made a positive difference to people’s lives and how the staff sometimes went above and beyond their regular duties to make sure people were happy and safe.

People received a service that was responsive to their changing needs. People received personalised and responsive care from staff who knew and understood their needs. Support plans were drawn up and agreed with people before the service began. The plans were regularly reviewed and updated to ensure staff always had access to up-to-date information about all aspects of the person’s needs. People were given information about the service, including a copy of their support plan.

People told us the service was well managed. The provider had quality monitoring processes in place to ensure the service was constantly improving. Spot checks were carried out regularly by a member of the management team to check the quality of the care staff provided to people. The provider’s electronic care planning system enabled the management team to monitor the service throughout each working day. The views of people who used the service, relatives and staff had been sought in various ways and these were acted upon. Concerns and complaints were responded and listened to and used to improve the quality of care. A member of staff told us, “I believe that we are all a team at Premier and a great one at that. Everyone works so hard to give our clients the best life they can and we do our upmost to accommodate our clients wishes and preferences”.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.