Background to this inspection
Updated
17 March 2016
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
This inspection took place on 19 and 20 January 2016. The inspection was announced. We gave the provider 24 hours’ notice of this inspection as the service is a small domiciliary care agency and we needed to make sure the registered manager was available to assist the inspection.
The inspection team was made up of one adult social care inspector.
We reviewed the information we held about the service prior to our inspection. This included the notifications we had received from the provider about significant issues such as safeguarding, deaths and serious injuries which the provider is legally obliged to send us within required timescales.
During the inspection we talked with two people and two relatives. We spoke with the registered manager and three care staff. We ‘pathway tracked’ the care of two people by looking at their care records, talking with them and with staff about their care. We reviewed a sample of four staff personnel files; and other records relating to the management of the service, including medicines, recruitment, staff supervision and appraisal, accidents and quality monitoring systems.
Updated
17 March 2016
This inspection took place on 19 and 20 January 2016. The inspection was announced.
We last inspected this service in September 2014. At that inspection we found the service was meeting all the legal requirements in place at the time.
Kcarers is a domiciliary care agency for older people, some of whom may have a dementia-related condition. It does not provide nursing care. There were five people receiving a personal care service at the time of this inspection.
The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People and their relatives told us they had full confidence in their care workers and felt safe with them in their houses. Care workers were given regular training in the safeguarding of vulnerable people. They knew how to recognise signs of abuse and how to report any concerns.
Risks to people were carefully assessed, and appropriate steps were taken to minimise such risks. No accidents to people or staff had been reported in the past year. Plans were in place to respond to any emergencies that might affect the provision of people’s services.
People were provided with sufficient care worker hours to meet their needs safely. Workers were flexible and able to meet any requests for extra hours. New staff were employed only after proper checks had been undertaken to ensure their fitness.
Care workers were trained to support people in taking their medicines safely, and clear and accurate records were kept of medicines administered.
People’s needs were met effectively by care workers who had been given the necessary training to meet those needs. Care workers received regular supervision to support them in their role.
People’s rights under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 were recognised and protected, and they were asked to give their consent to their care.
People’s health needs were assessed and monitored and, where necessary, they were given appropriate support to enjoy a nutritious diet.
Care workers were described as being very caring in their approach. They protected people’s privacy and dignity and treated them with respect. They gave people the information they needed about the service and their care provision, and encouraged them to be as independent as possible.
Before any service was started, the person and their relatives were involved in identifying all the person’s care needs and agreeing how workers should meet those needs. Care plans were detailed and person-centred, and were regularly reviewed. Complaints were taken seriously and responded to promptly and professionally.
People told us they were happy with the way their service was managed and spoke highly of the registered manager. We found an open, inclusive and listening culture in the service. People, their relatives and staff were asked for their views on a regular basis. Systems were in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service.