What life is like for people using this service:

People received a safe service and were comfortable with the care workers who supported them. The staff received safeguarding vulnerable adults training and would report any concerns they had about a person’s safety or welfare to the office team.

Each person we spoke with said the service they received from Primeway Care was good and met their expected needs. They told us the staff were kind and treated them with dignity and respect.

The staff team received training to enable them to carry out their jobs well and were well supported by the management team.

People were provided with a person centred service and they received the service that had been agreed. They were involved in making decisions about how they were looked after and the staff took account of their preferences and any choices they made.

People did not have any complaints about the service they received but would feel able to raise any concerns they had with the office staff. No concerns had been raised with the local authority commissioning team.

People received a service that was well led. The registered manager and other members of the management team provided good leadership and management. There were good systems and processes in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service. People were encouraged to have a say about the service and their views were welcomed.

More information about this inspection is available in the detailed findings sections of the full report.

Rating at last inspection:

When the service was last fully inspected we rated the service as Good (reported published 3 May 2017). We visited the service again on 6 September 2018 because some concerns had been reported to us. We did a focused inspection looking at aspects of the safe and well led areas. We did not need to revise our judgements following this inspection and the report was published on 26 September 2018.

About the service:

Primeway Care is a domiciliary care service providing personal care support to people in their own homes. The service currently covered the inner city area of Bristol, but the provider planned to expand the area they covered, as part of the growth of the service. At the time of the inspection the service were supporting 18 people and had 20 care workers.

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection. The service has remained rated Good overall.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until the next inspection. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

The inspection took place on 6 September 2018 and was announced. This was a focused inspection looking at whether people using the service were safe and whether the service was well led. No risks, concerns or significant improvement were identified in the remaining Key Questions through our ongoing monitoring or during our inspection activity so we did not inspect them. The ratings from the previous comprehensive inspection for these Key Questions were included in calculating the overall rating in this inspection. This inspection took place in response to concerns raised with us about people’s safety.

The service provides personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of our inspection 18 people were receiving care.

There was a registered manager in place. 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 requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

We found that people using the service were safe. Feedback from people using the service and their relatives was positive and it was clear that people valued the care they received. Comments included “I can’t fault them, they can’t do enough.”, “They are very, very special people, we have three of them who come to see my wife and they are all fabulous.” And “I would say they are the best carers in the whole wide world”.

When concerns arose about staff performance, action was taken to ensure people using the service were safe. This included suspending staff if necessary. There was a system of spot checks to help the registered manager check that staff were carrying out their roles to the required standard. If there were any concerns identified during spot checks, these were followed up with the member of staff concerned.

Senior staff were open and transparent and took action to improve when necessary. For example, they had identified that systems for monitoring care calls were not robust enough and had purchased an electronic monitoring system which made it much easier to ensure that calls were taking place.

Staff were trained in safeguarding vulnerable adults and told us they felt able to report any issues or concerns and felt confident they would be listened to.

People using the service and staff were all positive about how the service was managed and led. Comments included, “The manager is very on the ball. She rings me all the time, she’s very switched on, it’s so much better than the last agency”, “Yes, the manager comes out to see us and asks us questions. I would highly recommend them.” And “The manager is very, very good, she comes to see me she gives me advice and she asks me if I am satisfied. I am very very satisfied with the service”.

Staff gave us examples of concerns they’d brought to the registered manager’s attention, which had been dealt with swiftly and resolved.

People were given numerous opportunities to provide feedback about the service they received. This helped the registered manager monitor the quality of the service they provided.

The ratings for the two domains inspected remained as Good.

The inspection took place on 10 April 2017 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hour notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service; we needed to be sure that someone would be in the office.

This was the first inspection of the service since it was registered with us.

Prime Way Care Limited provides personal care and support to older people who live in their own homes. There were four people receiving support with personal care

There was a registered manager for the service. 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 requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People told us they felt safe with the support they received from care staff. There were arrangements in place to help safeguard people from the risk of abuse. The service had appropriate policies and procedures in place to inform people who used the service and staff how to report potential or suspected abuse. Care staff understood what abuse was and were aware of the steps to take to protect people.

People had risk assessments and risk management plans to reduce the likelihood of harm. The service ensured there were safe recruitment procedures in place. This helped protect people from the risks of being cared for by staff assessed to be unfit or unsuitable.

Care staff told us and we saw from their records that they had received training in relevant areas of their work. This training enabled staff to support people effectively.

Care staff understood their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). People told us and we saw from their records they were involved in making decisions about their care and support and their consent was sought and documented.

People were supported with their meals. Their care plans included an assessment of their nutrition and hydration needs. People told us they chose what they ate and staff supported them with meals.

People told us they were treated with dignity and respect. Care staff understood the need to protect people’s privacy and dignity. People told us staff knocked on their doors before they could enter their homes.

The service encouraged people to raise any concerns. Complaint received was thoroughly investigated and responded to in time.

Staff gave positive feedback about the management of the service. The registered manager was approachable and fully engaged with providing good quality care for people who used the service. They encouraged a positive and open culture by being supportive to staff and by making themselves approachable.

The provider had systems in place to continually monitor the quality of the service and people were asked for their opinions. Action plans were developed where required to address areas for improvements

The five questions we ask about services and what we found.