Superior Healthcare received a focused Good rating across the Safe and Well-led key questions following concerns about staff sleeping on duty and complaints handling. The service demonstrated effective safeguarding knowledge, safe medicines management, consistent staffing, and strong governance processes, though retrospective CQC notifications and reliance on manual missed-call reporting were identified as areas for improvement.
Concerns (4)
moderateSafeguarding: “A management audit had identified notifications had not always been submitted to the Care Quality Commission, following discussions with the local authority safeguarding authority. These were submitted retrospectively.”
moderateIncident learning: “The registered manager identified 2 occasions when wake night staff were found to be asleep on duty. Immediate action was taken to investigate and address this, as it posed a potential risk.”
minorStaffing levels: “Concerns had been raised by a relative regarding short notice cover arrangements. The management team had apologised to the relative.”
minorGovernance: “The provider was commissioning a bespoke electronic care system...currently relying on staff to notify the office, or people or their relatives telephoning if staff did not arrive.”
Strengths
· Medicines were managed safely with effective MAR audits and protocols for 'as required' medicines.
· Sufficient and consistent staffing with appropriate DBS and reference checks during recruitment.
· Staff knowledgeable about safeguarding procedures and confident to report concerns and whistle-blow.
· Effective quality monitoring with monthly audits, quarterly analysis, and trend review by registered manager.
· Rapid response team deployed to cover unfulfilled calls due to sickness or short-notice absences.
Superior Healthcare is a domiciliary nursing and personal care service rated Good across all five key questions at its November 2019 inspection, maintaining its previous Good rating from 2018. The service demonstrated consistent strengths in safe recruitment, person-centred care planning, skilled specialist care delivery, effective multi-disciplinary working, and a supportive open leadership culture with no areas of concern identified.
Strengths
· People and relatives spoke highly of staff consistency and continuity, with dedicated teams allocated per care package including a lead nurse.
· Staff were recruited safely with skills matched to individual care needs; nurses' NMC PIN status was verified regularly.
· Medicines were managed safely by trained registered nurses and care staff with annual competency assessments and regular MAR audits.
· Care plans were person-centred, regularly reviewed, and developed in partnership with people, relatives and healthcare professionals.
· Strong multi-disciplinary working with hospice teams, dieticians, speech and language therapists and specialist consultants.
Quality-Statement breakdown (26)
safe: Systems and processes to safeguard people from the risk of abuseGood
safe: Assessing risk, safety monitoring and managementGood
safe: Staffing and recruitmentGood
safe: Using medicines safelyGood
safe: Preventing and controlling infectionGood
safe: Learning lessons when things go wrongGood
effective: Assessing people's needs and choices; delivering care in line with standards, guidance and the lawGood
effective: Staff support: induction, training, skills and experienceGood
effective: Supporting people to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced dietGood
effective: Staff working with other agencies to provide consistent, effective, timely careGood
effective: Supporting people to live healthier lives, access healthcare services and supportGood
effective: Ensuring consent to care and treatment in line with law and guidanceGood
caring: Ensuring people are well treated and supported; respecting equality and diversityGood
caring: Supporting people to express their views and be involved in making decisions about their careGood
caring: Respecting and promoting people's privacy, dignity and independenceGood
responsive: Planning personalised care to ensure people have choice and control and to meet their needs and preferencesGood
responsive: Meeting people's communication needsGood
responsive: Supporting people to develop and maintain relationships to avoid social isolationGood
responsive: Improving care quality in response to complaints or concernsGood
responsive: End of life care and supportGood
well-led: Promoting a positive culture that is person-centred, open, inclusive and empoweringGood
well-led: How the provider understands and acts on the duty of candourGood
well-led: Managers and staff being clear about their roles, and understanding quality performance, risks and regulatory requirementsGood
well-led: Engaging and involving people using the service, the public and staffGood
well-led: Continuous learning and improving careGood