30 July 2019
During a routine inspection
Premier care is a care agency, providing personal care and support to people living in their own homes. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. At the time of this inspection the agency were providing personal care to approximately 181 people in Warrington and St Helens.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People told us they felt safe when being supported by the staff. People told us staff had enough time to support them and were usually on time. Staff were aware of what might be a safeguarding concern and how they would raise this. Risk assessments ensured people were supported to manage the risks in their daily lives. Staff followed good practice in relation to the safe management of medicines.
The provider completed assessments of people's needs and staff said they had enough information to support people effectively. People told us staff usually knew how to support them, but it could take time with newer staff. The provider ensured new staff had induction training which included shadowing more experienced staff. Staff said they had received adequate training and supervision.
People told us staff were caring, kind and polite. People who needed support with showering or bathing told us staff were respectful and put them at ease. People said they felt able to express their views and had been involved in making decisions about their care.
The service completed regular reviews of people's care needs and preferences and amended their care plans to reflect any changes. People told us they had been involved in reviews of their care. People were aware of the provider’s complaints policy and said they felt able to raise their concerns.
Staff said they felt the service was managed well and management were on top of everything. Staff said the management team provided positive feedback. Staff told us they felt proud to be working for the service. People told us they were able to raise anything with the management team. We had mixed responses from some people we spoke with who felt the management could be more understanding. Most people were aware there had been a significant change in the size of the agency and had felt this had affected how well organised the agency had been; but said things had improved in recent months. Effective monitoring of visits and care quality ensured the service maintained the standard of care expected.
Rating at last inspection (and update)
At the last inspection this service was rated as Requires Improvement with two breaches of the regulations in relation to; safe care and treatment and good governance. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
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.