Premier Carewaiting Limited

At our last inspection on 11 and 20 July 2017, we rated the service ‘Requires Improvement’. At this inspection, we found that previous recommendations had been addressed. We therefore rated this service as ‘Good.”

The service had a registered manager. 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 legal requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and the associated regulations on how the service is run.

People were protected from potential harm and abuse through clear safeguarding systems. Staff demonstrated an understanding of what abuse was and how to report any concerns. People told us their staff were consistent and on time for their visits. Staff had been recruited safely and were employed once they had satisfied various checks. People were supported to manage their medicines in a safe manner. The provider worked to reduce the risk of cross infection. Individual risk assessments looked at people’s support needs and evaluated their home environment to manage all potential risks. All accidents and incidents had been recorded and could demonstrate how these had been reviewed to learn lessons and improve the overall quality of the service.

Information was used from the local authority to ensure the service could offer the right support to people. All staff received a detailed induction and ongoing training to ensure they could provide the best quality support to people. Staff were supported by their managers through regular supervisions and they received an annual appraisal. People were supported to keep hydrated and have a well-balanced diet and received support from other health and social care professionals to ensure they had a healthy lifestyle. The service worked in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and staff ensured they gained consent from people before providing any care or support.

People told us staff were kind, caring and friendly. We saw that people were directly involved in the review of their care packages. The service worked in a manner that ensured people were protected from discrimination and people felt they were treated equally. People told us their privacy and dignity was maintained throughout their care and staff promoted a sense of independence for all people.

People had their own care plans that were detailed and demonstrated that the service worked in a person-centred way and responded to individual need. Care plans were reviewed but not always updated as a result of these reviews. We recommended that the service seek advice and guidance from a reputable source to ensure their care plans were accurate. The complaints received had been investigated and relevant action had been taken. People knew how to make complaints.

People, relatives and staff were positive about the management team. Staff felt well supported and were involved in meetings to review the development of the service. There were robust quality assurance systems in place which ensured the service was running well. People’s feedback was sought from surveys. We recommended the service refer to best practice guidance about using feedback to ensure they were constantly improving.