Premier Care - Manchester Extra Care Services

Updated 20 November 2021

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

This inspection was completed by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service provides care and support to people living in specialist ‘extra care’ housing. Extra care housing is purpose-built or adapted single household accommodation in a shared site or building. The accommodation is bought or rented and is the occupant’s own home. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for extra care housing; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support service.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small, and people are often out and we wanted to be sure there would be people available to help facilitate the inspection and to speak with us.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

Due to COVID-19 precautions, we were unable to visit people in their own home. However, we spoke with two people whilst socially distanced in a communal area of the service.

We spoke with six members of staff including the registered manager, supervisor, team leader, and care workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included seven people’s care records and multiple medication records. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We spoke people with three people who used the service and four relatives by telephone about their experience of the care provided.

We were sent additional documentation electronically. This included three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. We also looked at training data and quality assurance records.

Updated 20 November 2021

About the service

Premier Care - Manchester Extra Care Services provides care services to Hibiscus Court and Shore Green extra care housing schemes in Manchester. The schemes are owned and operated by two separate registered social landlords. Hibiscus Court has 39 properties and Shore Green has 10 properties. Additionally, Shore Green is a specialist service dedicated to people who live with dementia.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. The Care Quality Commission (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.

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

An exceptional level of care and support was provided to people by a team of staff who were dedicated, passionate and committed to their roles. There was a genuine determination to ensure people’s individual characteristics, likes, dislikes and personal preferences were recognised, embraced and celebrated. Ensuring people were afforded every possible opportunity to maintain and/or regain their independence was a significant stand out feature of the service.

A robust framework was in place which sought to protect people from the risk of abuse. People who used the service told us they had confidence in the staff who provided support. New and emerging risks were identified and acted upon in a timely manner. People who used the service benefited from a team of care staff who were based onsite. This enabled staff to be responsive to people’s needs and provide a level of consistency, which people clearly appreciated.

An assessment of needs was completed before a person started to use the service. A joint allocations meeting was well established between the housing provider and care team. This helped to ensure the service could meet people’s needs before they were accepted. COVID-19 had presented many challenges around access to healthcare services. However, throughout this difficult period, staff ensured that people’s routine and urgent care needs were met. An appropriate level of support was provided with eating and drinking where this was part of an assessed care need.

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.

Care plans and associated records were of a good quality and person-centred. Staff had access to electronic handheld devices, providing key information that could be accessed at the point of care. A robust assessment framework, coupled with the skills and experience of staff, helped to ensure people’s communication needs were recognised, assessed and acted upon in a timely manner.

The culture and ethos of the service was one of inclusion and involvement of everyone. Staff were motivated, enthusiastic and passionate about the role they performed - this resulted in outstanding care and positive outcomes for people. The registered manager led by example and conducted their business in an open, honest and transparent way.

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 12/11/2019 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection of a newly registered service.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this at inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

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.