Background to this inspection
Updated
20 February 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
The inspection team consisted of one inspector.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats and specialist housing.
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
This inspection was unannounced.
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 28 January 2020 and ended on 29 January 2020. We visited the office location on 28 January 2020.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since its registration. We sought feedback from the local authority. 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 took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with four people who used the service and two relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with six members of staff including care workers, the registered manager, a director and the training manager.
We reviewed a range of records. This included seven people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at additional medicine administration records.
Updated
20 February 2020
About the service
K&S Care Solutions Ltd is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to 20 people at the time of the inspection.
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
Audit systems were not always effective in checking the quality of the service. Medicine and call log audits did not always identify trends to ensure action was taken to address any concerns. Time slots were not always provided to people so they knew what time the carers would be arriving.
Effective systems were in place to keep people safe. Staff were aware of the types of abuse and understood how to keep people safe. Risk assessments were in place and clearly guided staff how to manage risk to people. Staff understood how to manage risk to people. People were supported by a sufficient number of safely recruited staff. People’s medicines were administered to them safely. Protocols were in place to guide staff when to administer as required medicines. Staff understood how to reduce the risk of infection to people and wore Personal Protective Equipment. Where things went wrong, the registered manager identified lessons learnt and took action to reduce the risk of reoccurrence.
People’s needs and choices were assessed and care was delivered in line with these needs. People’s diverse needs had been considered within assessments and guidance was in place to guide staff how to meet diverse needs including reference to religion, language and culture. People were supported by well trained staff who had the skills and knowledge to meet their needs. Staff were up to date with mandatory training and were observed by senior staff members to be signed off as competent before providing care to people. People were supported to eat and drink in line with their care plans. People were supported to access health professionals when needed.
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 were supported by kind and caring staff who tried to build a rapport with them. Staff were passionate about providing people with the best care. People were supported to make decisions about their care and told us they were always given choice. People were supported by staff who promoted their independence. Staff understood how to promote people’s dignity and respect their privacy by shutting doors and covering them when supporting them with personal care.
Personalised care plans were in place that guided staff as to how people would like their care delivered. Staff knew people well. The registered manager had created a culture file to provide further guidance to staff about people’s individual cultural needs. Staff understood how to meet people’s communication needs. People were supported to engage in activities of their choice. A complaints policy was in place that was followed by the management team. People told us they were comfortable with raising concerns and were confident they would be addressed in line with the policy.
The registered manager was aware of their statutory responsibilities in relation to submitting notifications to CQC. The management and staff team were clear about their roles. People, relatives and staff were encouraged to input regarding the service. The management team promoted a person centred and empowering culture. The registered manager understood and acted on the duty of candour and was open and honest. There was a clear emphasis on continuous learning and improving the quality of care provided. The service worked closely in partnership with the local college, health and social care professionals.
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 25/02/2019 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the service not having been previously inspected.
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.