Superior Healthcare

Updated 1 August 2023

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

This inspection was completed by an inspector.

Service and service type

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

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

Inspection activity started on 27 April 2023 and ended on 9 June 2023. We visited the location’s office on 27 April 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with the registered manager, quality manager, a regional nurse manager, and a human resources manager. We looked at 5 staff recruitment records and a variety of records relating to the management of the service including audits.

Following the inspection

We spoke with 11 people who use the service, or their relatives, about their experience of the care provided as well as 1 person who commissioned care packages with the service. We spoke with 6 care staff about their experiences of working for the provider and reviewed a range of records including 6 people’s care records.

Updated 1 August 2023

About the service

Superior Healthcare is a domiciliary care service providing personal care. The service provides support to the whole population, including babies, children and adults with complex health needs including, physical disabilities, sensory impairments, and care at the end of their life. At the time of our inspection, there were 67 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

Feedback about the service was mixed. People told us, in general, the care and nursing staff were, “Excellent”, some people described them as, “Angels”. Concerns had been raised by a relative regarding short notice cover arrangements. The management team had apologised to the relative.

Care staff were knowledgeable about safeguarding adults' procedures.

Medicines were managed safely, and protocols were in place for people who were prescribed ‘as required’ medicines.

There were sufficient numbers of staff to ensure people usually received continuous care from staff they knew. Staff were safely recruited.

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.

The provider had systems In place to assess risks to people’s health and safety. Care plans were detailed and provided staff with guidance to mitigate risk.

Staff followed infection control procedures, protecting people from the risk of infection. Most people we spoke with said they felt safe with the care and support of staff.

The provider had an effective quality monitoring processes in place.

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 4 February 2020). At this inspection the rating has remained good.

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about instances of staff being found asleep on duty and management response to complaints. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led. For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for Superior Healthcare on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

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