K&R CARE

On this page

• Overview
• Learning culture
• Safe systems, pathways and transitions
• Safeguarding
• Involving people to manage risks
• Safe environments
• Safe and effective staffing
• Infection prevention and control
• Medicines optimisation

The registered manager and staff understood their responsibilities to protect people from abuse and avoidable harm. People’s risks were assessed, and staff had guidance in care records on providing people’s care and support safely. The provider ensured there were enough staff available to deploy to people’s homes and provide care and support. People’s medicines were stored and recorded correctly. People’s medicines were administered by trained staff. Staff followed good hygiene practices when providing personal care and preparing food.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Feedback from people confirmed they were happy with the care and support they received.

The registered manager and leadership were confident in the service’s ability to identify areas for improvement and to learn lessons when things did not go as well as planned. Learning was shared with staff through team meetings and supervision.

The registered manager regularly reviewed the skills and knowledge of staff individually and collectively and ensured that training and mentoring was provided. This created a culture of on-going learning and development.

People were supported with planned transitions into the service. People and their relatives met with the registered manager to discuss people’s needs, preferences and expectations.

The service worked with health and social care professionals and the providers of other services to ensure the necessary information and support was available to ensure safe transitions.

Health and social care professionals were complimentary about the service’s efficiency and flexibility around transitions and support.

People’s needs were assessed before they began receiving care and support. This was to ensure the service could meet their needs.

Relatives and people felt the service was safe and well managed.

Staff received safeguarding training and understood their role in keeping people safe. Safeguarding was discussed in team meetings and supervision to ensure that staff knew the signs that people were at risk of abuse and the prompt actions they should take to keep people safe.

The provider had an up-to-date safeguarding policy, and the registered manager understood their responsibility to inform and liaise with the local authority and regulator if any concerns emerged.

People participated in their risk assessments and made informed decisions as to how they should be safely managed.

The registered manager, office staff and care team understood people’s individual risks. When changes to people’s risks were identified these were reviewed and reassessed. This meant people were protected from avoidable harm.

People were supported with a range of specific risk assessments before and after they began receiving a service. The registered manager routinely audited risk assessments to ensure they remained relevant. Where required referrals were made to healthcare professionals for assessments to be undertaken and the guidelines they produced were incorporated into people’s care records.

Staff worked with people and their relatives to ensure that their home environments were safe.

Staff provided care and support to people in line with their training and people’s care plans. Staff ensured that people and their environments were safe during their care visits. For example, staff removed tripping hazards to prevent the risk of falling.

People were supported with a range of risk assessments to ensure their environments were safe. These included assessments of equipment, the environment and health and safety.

There were enough staff available to carry out care visits on time and for the duration planned. People were supported by regular staff they were familiar with, and who were trained to provide the care and support they provided.

The registered manager ensured that staff received the supervision and training they required to meet people’s needs safely and effectively.

Staff were recruited through robust recruitment processes to ensure they were safe to provide care and support. Once in post they were supported through induction and probation processes and on-going training and supervision throughout their careers.

People’s personal care was provided by staff who followed infection prevention and control guidance. This included handwashing and wearing personal protective equipment such as gloves and aprons.

The registered manager and staff received training in infection prevention and control.

The provider had an infection prevention and control policy and office staff carried out observations to ensure that staff followed the providers safe hygiene practices.

People consented to the administration of their medicines.

Staff received regular training in medicines administration. Office staff carried out regular observations to confirm that staff were administering and recording medicines in line with their training.

At the last inspection we found staff did not always to sign and date people’s medicines administration records when medicines were administered. At this inspection we found that medicines records had been completed correctly following administration. The registered manager audited the service’s electronic medicines records to confirm they had been signed.