We carried out a review of the data available to us about Premier Care Bolton Branch on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Premier Care Bolton Branch, you can give feedback on this service.
Premier Care is a domiciliary care agency providing help and support to people with varying needs in their own homes. 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 social care provided. At the time of our inspection the service was supporting 197 people, 148 of whom were receiving help with personal care.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
At the previous inspection there were concerns around inconsistent and brief documentation. This had improved and documentation was now much more comprehensive. At the last inspection there were some inconsistencies in medicines records. At this inspection all medicines records looked at were complete and up to date.
We found systems for assessing quality were not always effective at the last inspection. These systems had been reviewed and improvements made had ensured they were now effective.
Appropriate safeguarding systems were in place and staff were knowledgeable about how to keep people safe. Staff were recruited safely and no missed visits were reported by people who used the service. Infection prevention and control was managed well.
Care plans were person-centred and included information about health, social background, preferences and goals. People reported good communication with the service.
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.
Learning was taken from looking at themes and trends from complaints and concerns, accidents and safeguarding issues. The service engaged well with partner agencies and other professionals.
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 requires improvement (published 28 April 2020). At this inspection we found the required improvements had been made.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating to look at whether the service had completed the actions required.
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.
Premier Care is a domiciliary care agency providing help and support to people with varying needs in their own homes. At the time of our inspection the service was supporting 203 people with personal care. 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
The service was not always safe. Comments from people about staffing were not always positive. People told us there were times when staff were late, and they did not always know who would be visiting them. Care calls were delivered within a time banding arranged with the local authority and commissioning teams. We have made a recommendation about staff visiting people at the times they need it. Staff were able to tell us about the risks to people and knew how to support people to minimise the risks. The records around risks and how to mitigate these were at times brief. We found inconsistencies in people’s medicines administration records, this was discussed with the registered manager and systems were in place to address the concerns. However, these changes required time to embed. We found recruitment of staff was safe. Staff had access to personal protective equipment, and they had received training on infection control. The service had procedures to minimise the potential risk of abuse or unsafe care.
The service was not always well led. At this inspection we identified issues with the provider's quality and assurance systems. We found some inconsistencies in care documentation. We have made a recommendation about embedding effective systems to monitor the service. There was a positive staff culture. We found the management team receptive to feedback and keen to improve the service. The registered manager worked with us in a positive manner and provided all the information we requested.
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's nutritional needs had been considered. People we spoke with said they were given choices on what meals and drinks they wanted.
The registered manager and staff were caring. People told us they were happy with their care and staff treated them with kindness, dignity and respect. One person said, "I’m happy with the carers, the staff are good." Staff were aware of how to protect people's privacy and dignity.
The complaints folder showed complaints had been fully investigated by the registered manager and a full response provided to the complainant. Concerns raised to us during this inspection had not been raised as formal complaints. Staff supported people to go out shopping and attend appointments when they needed to. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of the people they supported and were able to talk about people's preferred routines.
Rating at last inspection
This service was registered with us on 14 March 2019 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on our inspection schedule for newly registered services.
Follow up
We will request an action plan for the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.