Archived: La Premiere Care Limited Also known as La Premiere Classe Care Training and Nursing Services

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of this service on 24 October 2017. After that inspection we received concerns in relation to staff training and recruitment. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to look into those concerns. This report includes our findings in relation to those topics. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for La Premiere Care Ltd on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

During this inspection we looked at two of the questions we ask about all services, is the service safe and is the service well-led?

This service is a domiciliary care agency. When we carried out this inspection it provided personal care to 18 people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It provides a service to older adults and younger disabled adults.

The service has a registered manager. 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.

The provider had systems and processes to keep people safe. Care workers told us they had completed training in these areas and the records we saw confirmed this.

People’s care records included assessments of possible risks and management plans to mitigate those risks the assessments identified. People received their medicines safely and as prescribed.

The provider carried out checks to make sure care workers they employed were suitable to work with people using the service.

People who used the service and their relatives told us they thought it was well managed and they were happy with the care and support people received.

The provider had systems in place for monitoring quality in the service and making improvements.

Staff from the service regularly contacted people who used the service either by telephone or by a supervisor visiting them. They recorded how people felt about the service and any action that was needed to address any concerns.

This was the first inspection of the service since the current provider became the registered provider on 1 May 2016. Before this the service was managed by a different provider.

La Premiere Care Limited (also known as La Premiere Classe Care Training and Nursing Services) is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care and support to people living in their own home. The provider, of the same name, also provided staff to work in care homes and hospitals. This part of the business does not need to be registered with the Care Quality Commission.

At the time of the inspection there were 10 people receiving personal care in their own homes. The majority of these were older people, but there were also some younger adults with mental health needs, physical disabilities and autism.

There was a registered manager in post. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People were happy with the service. They told us they received a good service. They were involved in planning their own care and were able to give the provider feedback about their experiences. They felt the provider responded to these and they were confident that any concerns would be acted upon. People had consented to their care and the provider was acting within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

People were cared for by staff who were kind, considerate and polite. The staff received the training, support and supervision they needed to carry out their roles. The staff were happy working for the agency. There were appropriate procedures for the recruitment of staff.

People were safely cared for. There were effective systems for managing medicines and keeping people safe. The staff undertook assessments of risk and these were clearly recorded. The provider had responded appropriately to incidents and accidents.

The staff arrived on time for their care visits. They stayed the agreed length of time and carried out the required tasks. The staff worked with other healthcare professionals when they identified a health need. Care plans were clear and appropriately detailed. These plans included information about personal preferences and how people wished to be cared for. The records of care provided showed that these plans were followed.

The provider operated effective systems to monitor and improve the quality of the service. They identified and mitigated risk and listened to feedback from people who used the service and other stakeholders. There was a clear management structure providing good support for people who used the service and staff. Records were clear, accurate and up to date.