31 August 2022
During a routine inspection
About the service
PCAS Kent Ltd is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people with a learning disability and autistic people in their own homes and in supported living. At the time of the inspection the service was supporting 56 people.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Right Support
The service was not always following good infection control practice. People and relatives and staff told us staff did not always wear personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep themselves and people safe. Staff supported people to have the maximum possible choice, control and independence. People had control over their own lives. Staff focused on people’s strengths and promoted what they could do, so people had a fulfilling and meaningful everyday life.
People received support in a safe, clean, well equipped, well-furnished and well-maintained environment that met their sensory and physical needs. People had a choice about their living environment and were able to personalise their rooms.
Staff enabled people to access specialist health and social care support in the community. Staff communicated with people in ways that met their needs.
Right Care
New staff were not always adequately checked to ensure they were suitable to work with people to keep them safe. We found no evidence that people had been harmed. However, systems were not robust enough to demonstrate staff recruitment was effectively managed. The provider’s auditing systems had not identified the recruitment issues and other areas for improvement.
Staff and people cooperated to assess risks people might face. Where appropriate, staff encouraged and enabled people to take positive risks. People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people’s privacy and dignity. They understood and responded to their individual needs.
Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. The service worked well with other agencies to do so. The service had enough appropriately skilled staff to meet people’s needs and keep them safe. People could communicate with staff and understand information given to them because staff supported them consistently and understood their individual communication needs. People’s care, treatment and support plans reflected their range of needs and this promoted their wellbeing and enjoyment of life.
Right Culture
People were supported by staff who understood best practice in relation to the wide range of strengths, impairments or sensitivities people with a learning disability and autistic people may have. This meant people received compassionate and empowering care that was tailored to their needs. Staff knew and understood people well.
Staff were responsive, supporting people’s aspirations to live a quality life of their choosing. Staff placed people’s wishes, needs and rights at the heart of everything they did. People and those important to them, including advocates, were involved in planning their care. People’s quality of life was enhanced by the service’s culture of improvement and inclusivity.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for the service under the previous location was good (published 29 September 2018).
Why we inspected
This is the service’s first inspection since registering with the CQC as a new service on 14 January 2021.
Enforcement
We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.
We have identified a breach in relation to safe recruitment practice. Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.