Prestige Nursing Halesworth

Updated 18 December 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 checked 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 announced comprehensive inspection was carried out by one inspector on 26 November 2018. We gave the service notice of the inspection visit because we needed to be sure that someone would be available.

The inspection activity started on 26 November 2018 and ended 27 November 2018. On the first day we visited the office. We spoke with the registered manager, admiral nurse, coordinator, field care supervisor and four care workers. We also spoke with a commissioner of the service of a local project, who visited the office to speak with us. We reviewed eight people’s care records, records relating to the management of the service, training records, and the recruitment records of three new care workers. On 27 November 2018 we spoke with 10 people who used the service and the relatives of seven people on the telephone.

We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We reviewed information we held about the service, including notifications we received from the service. Notifications are required by law, they tell us about important events and incidents and the actions taken by the service. We also reviewed information sent to us from other stakeholders for example the local authority and members of the public.

In March 2018 we sent out questionnaires to people who used the service, relatives and care workers to gain their views about the service. We received completed questionnaires from 15 people who used the service, four from relatives and 16 from care workers.

Updated 18 December 2018

Prestige Nursing Halesworth is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. It provides a service to adults. At the time of this announced inspection of 26 and 27 November 2018 there were 89 people who used the personal care service. We gave the service notice of the inspection to make sure that someone was available to see us.

At our last inspection of 8 December 2016, this service was rated requires improvement overall and in all of the key questions. There were breaches of Regulation 18: Staffing and Regulation 17: Good governance of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. This was because improvements were needed in how the service was staffed and assessed and monitored. The service wrote to us to tell us how they planned to implement improvements. During this inspection of 26 November 2018, we found improvements had been made, there were no breaches of Regulation and the service was rated good overall.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.

There were systems in place designed to provide people with safe care. Improvements had been made in the staffing in the service and the ways that people’s care visits were planned. Risks to people were managed, including risks from abuse and in their daily lives. The service had a recruitment drive in place to reduce any risks of missed and late visits. Care workers were recruited safely. Where people required support with their medicines, this was provided safely. The service learned from incidents to improve the service. There were infection control procedures in place to reduce the risks of cross infection.

People were provided with an effective service. Improvements had been made in how the service worked with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 relating to the storage of people’s medicines. People were asked for their consent before any care was provided and their choices were documented. Care workers were trained and supported to meet the needs of the people using the service. Where people required assistance with their dietary needs, this was provided. People were supported to have access to health professionals where needed. The service worked with other organisations involved in people’s care to provide a consistent service.

People received a caring service. People had positive relationships with their care workers. People’s dignity, privacy and independence were respected and promoted. People’s views were listened to and valued.

People were provided with a responsive service. People received care and support which was assessed, planned and delivered to meet their individual needs. People were provided with end of life care. The service worked in partnership with a community project to support people to die at home. A complaints procedure was in place and people’s concerns were addressed.

People were provided with a service which was well-led. There were systems in place to assess and monitor the service provided. Where improvements were identified actions were taken to address them.