PRM Care Ltd

Updated 13 April 2023

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 1 inspector.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 9 March 2023 and ended on 16 March 2023. We visited the location’s office on 9 March 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority and Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 2 people and 4 relatives on the telephone. We spoke to 4 staff members either in person or on the telephone. This included the registered manager and care staff.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 3 staff files in relation to recruitment. We looked at people’s care plans, medicines records and risk assessments. We also looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures, audits and training and supervision records.

Updated 13 April 2023

About the service

PRM Care Ltd is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people living in their own homes. The service provides support to older people and those living with dementia or a physical disability. 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. At the time of our inspection there were 8 people using the service.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People were at risk of receiving care and support from unsuitable staff as the registered manager did not have an embedded and robust recruitment process in place. We made a recommendation about this. Medication was managed effectively, and the provider had assessed risks in relation to people and the environment. Staff had received safeguarding training and understood the concept of safeguarding the people they supported.

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 were supported by staff who had received appropriate training. Where people had specific needs, staff received training in relation to this. People’s needs were assessed, and their nutrition and hydration needs were met. Staff received regular supervision and support with their development from the registered manager.

People were supported by staff that knew them well. Relatives spoke highly of the staff approach which was described as “Very good” and, “Respectful.” Staff spoke positively of how they ensured they promoted dignity, privacy and independence and gave us examples of how they did this. People and their relatives had a good relationship with the registered manager and were involved in making decisions about the delivery of their care.

People received care that was personalised to their individual needs and preferences. No complaints had been raised by people or their relatives, but there was a system in place for managing this process. People’s communication needs were met, and care plans were detailed and person centred.

Audits had not always been completed in relation to staff recruitment, and the recruitment policy was not always being followed. We made a recommendation about this. The registered manager completed quality checks relating to medicines management and care plans. People and their relatives spoke highly of the registered manager’s approach, which was described as “Responsive” and “Patient."

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 28 April 2021 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Recommendations

We recommend the provider reviews their recruitment practice and the audit for managing this process.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.