MK Care Services Limited

Updated 28 March 2020

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

This inspection was conducted by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

Before the inspection, we reviewed all the information we held about the service including information about important events which the service is required to tell us about by law. We requested feedback from other stakeholders. These included the local authority safeguarding team, commissioning team and Healthwatch Leeds. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

During the inspection, we spoke with two people who were using the service and three relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with three staff members; this included the registered manager and care workers. We looked at care records for two people using the service including medicine administration records. We looked at training, recruitment and supervision records for staff. We also reviewed various policies and procedures and the quality assurance and monitoring systems of the service.

After the inspection

We received information from the registered manager with additional evidence. This was used as part of our inspection.

Updated 28 March 2020

About the service

MK Care Services is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to adults living in their own homes, some of them required end of life care. At the time of the inspection, the service was supporting five people.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People using the service and their relatives were complimentary about the care provided and they all felt safe. One person said, “They do a fantastic job.”

Some records kept in the office required further detail to ensure these were current and contemporaneous. We saw there were quality assurance processes in place which were proportional to the current size of the service, however, its effectiveness could be improved as improvements in the recording of medication, mental capacity assessments and some details in people’s care plans had not been identified previously by the registered manager.

Overall medication was managed well, however improvements were required in recording the support provided with prescribed creams and staff’s competency assessments. We have made a recommendation for the provider to consult and implement relevant guidance and best practice in relation to administering medication in the community.

Risks to people’s care were well managed. Risk assessments were in place to identify and manage risks to people and staff. However, some risk assessments and care plans held in the office were not always as detailed as the ones in people’s homes. Staff and the registered manager were knowledgeable about identifying and reporting safeguarding concerns. The provider recruited staff safely and ensured staff followed safe infection control practices.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practise. Improvements were required in how the provider was recording relevant discussions and decisions about the care of people who lacked capacity to make decisions. We have made a recommendation for the provider to always complete these records and to consult relevant guidance and best practice in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

People received support to maintain good nutrition and hydration and their healthcare needs were understood and met. The provider kept in close contact with relevant healthcare professionals.

People and relatives told us the service had a positive impact on their lives and staff were caring and compassionate.

The provider was caring for people with complex health conditions and some required end of life care. Most care plans were detailed, and person centred; these were updated when required. Staff knew people well and had the necessary skills, training and support to carry out their jobs safely and effectively.

The service had not received any complaints. People and family members were confident that any concerns or complaints would be listened to and acted upon quickly by the registered manager.

We received positive feedback about the registered manager being approachable. There was a clear vision about the quality of care the provider wanted to provide and the registered manager told us about their plans to further develop the service and the resources they were accessing.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 6 March 2019 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on when the service was first registered with the CQC.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.