Background to this inspection
Updated
7 August 2021
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
The inspection was carried out by two inspectors and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
Service and service type
Kare Plus Cambridge is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.
The service did not have a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that the provider is legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
We gave a short period notice of the inspection. This was because we wanted to ensure the manager would be available to support the inspection during the visit to the office location.
Inspection activity started on 05 July 2021 and ended on 21 July 2021. We visited the office location on 20 July 2021.
What we did before the inspection
The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make
We reviewed information we held about the service including notifications they had sent to us. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with seven people who used the service, seven relatives and one staff by telephone.
We asked the provider to send us various records and documents that we reviewed before the visit to the office location. This included care plans and risk assessments for two people. We also looked at records relating to the management of the service, including quality monitoring audits.
We contacted the local authority for feedback about the service.
We looked at staff recruitment records during the visit to the office location. We also spoke with the manager and the human resources manager.
After the inspection
We spoke with two more staff by telephone.
Updated
7 August 2021
About the service
Kare Plus Cambridge is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of the inspection, the service was supporting 20 people with personal care.
Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
There was no registered manager in post, but the service was well managed by the current manager. They had started the process to register with CQC. People, relatives and staff were asked for their views about the service and they felt listened to. There were robust quality monitoring processes to ensure continual improvements were made. There was collaborative working with other professionals to ensure people received the right support.
People said they felt safe and well supported by staff. Staff reported concerns about people’s safety or welfare to the manager so that these could be dealt with quickly. Risks to people had been managed well. Medicines were managed safely by trained staff. Staff followed infection prevention and control guidance to reduce the risk of infections. There were reviews of incidents and accidents, and preventative actions had been taken when needed.
People’s needs were assessed, and there were detailed care plans to help staff provide effective care. People were supported by staff who were appropriately trained for their roles. Staff felt supported by the manager. When required, staff supported people well to eat and drink.
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 practice.
People and their relatives said staff were caring and friendly. They said staff sometimes went over and beyond the planned care to support them. One person said, “If I forget something from the shopping list, [staff] will always pick it up for me and bring it next time they come. They are brilliant.” Staff had good relationships with people, and they enjoyed working at the service. People were involved in discussions about their care and support, and they had copies of their care plans. Staff supported people in a way that promoted their privacy, dignity and independence.
People said their care was planned and delivered in a way that met their individual needs. People’s complaints and concerns were dealt with and the information was used to improve the service. Staff supported people at the end of their lives if this support was required.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Rating at last inspection
The service was inspected in December 2020 in Safe and Well-led only, but it was not rated (published 04 February 2021).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the provider’s registration date and our monitoring of the service.
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.