Premier Care - Halton, a domiciliary care service supporting 414 people, improved from Requires Improvement to Good at this focused inspection, addressing previous breaches in safe care, consent and good governance. Minor concerns remained regarding embedding medicines audit systems, consistency of regular care workers, and pandemic-related gaps in staff supervision.
Concerns (5)
moderateStaffing levels: “some people were unhappy about the different staff who visited them. Some did not have a regular care worker.”
minorMedication management: “the provider's medicines audit, sharing and learning systems were not yet fully embedded into practice.”
minorMedication management: “There was no overall view of which support staff had been assessed in each area of medicines handling.”
minorSupervision / appraisal: “during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic not all staff had received supervision.”
minorGovernance: “no overall review of all medication administration records was completed to identify any common themes.”
Strengths
· Improvements made resulting in no longer being in breach of regulations 11, 12 and 17
· Effective safeguarding systems with staff understanding their responsibilities
· Safe recruitment processes and sufficient staffing levels
· Robust infection prevention and control with adequate PPE during COVID-19 pandemic
· Effective quality assurance systems with regular audits
Quality-Statement breakdown (14)
safe: Using medicines safelyNot rated
safe: Systems and processes to safeguard people from the risk of abuseNot rated
safe: Assessing risk, safety monitoring and managementNot rated
safe: Staffing and recruitmentNot rated
safe: Preventing and controlling infectionNot rated
effective: Ensuring consent to care and treatment in line with law and guidanceNot rated
effective: Assessing people's needs and choices; delivering care in line with standards, guidance and the lawNot rated
effective: Supporting people to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced dietNot rated
effective: Supporting people to live healthier lives, access healthcare services and supportNot rated
effective: Staff support: induction, training, skills and experienceNot rated
well-led: Managers and staff being clear about their roles, and understanding quality performance, risks and regulatory requirementsNot rated
well-led: Working in partnership with othersNot rated
well-led: Promoting a positive culture that is person-centred, open, inclusive and empoweringNot rated
well-led: Engaging and involving people using the service, the public and staffNot rated