Archived: KIDS (West Midlands)

Updated 21 March 2019

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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

The inspection was carried out by one adult social care 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 in the community. It provides a service to children and younger adults. At the time of inspection four children were using the service.

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 24 hours' notice of the inspection visit because it is a small service. We needed to be sure that the registered manager would be in the office.

Inspection activity started on 5 March 2019 with a visit to the office location. We spoke with the registered manager and reviewed records. We made telephone calls to relatives of the children who used the service and staff on 12 March 2019.

What we did:

Before the inspection the provider sent us a Provider Information Return. Providers are required to send us information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections.

We reviewed information we held about the service, for example, statutory notifications. A notification is information about events which the provider is required to tell us about by law.

We contacted commissioners to seek their feedback.

During the site visit we spoke with the registered manager. We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records. We also looked at four staff files to check staff recruitment and their training records. We reviewed records relating to the management of the service and a variety of policies and procedures developed and implemented by the provider.

After the site visit we contacted three relatives, the service co-ordinator, one senior practitioner and two support workers.

Updated 21 March 2019

About the service:

Kids West Midlands is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to children and young adults with physical and or learning disabilities or life limiting health conditions in their own home. At the time of inspection four people were using the service.

People’s experience of using this service:

Relatives told us they felt the service was safe. They trusted the workers who supported the children and young adults. They thought there were enough staff to provide safe care to people. Relatives said staff were kind, caring and supportive of people and their families. Privacy and dignity were respected and people’s independence was promoted.

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The service assisted people, where required, in meeting their health care and nutritional needs. Staff worked together, and with other professionals, in co-ordinating people’s care.

Staff had received training about safeguarding and knew how to respond to any allegation of abuse. There were other opportunities for staff to receive training to meet people’s care needs. A system was in place for staff to receive supervision and appraisal and there were appropriate recruitment processes being used when staff were employed.

Staff had a good understanding and knowledge of people’s care and support needs. Care plans were in place detailing how people wished to be supported. They were supported to develop and follow their interests. Risks were assessed and managed. Positive risk taking was encouraged as people were supported to take acceptable risks to help promote their independence.

People were involved in decisions about their care. They were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Information was accessible to involve people in making decisions about their lives.

Communication was effective and staff and people were listened to. Staff said they felt well-supported and were aware of their rights and their responsibility to share any concerns about the care provided.

There were opportunities for people, relatives and staff to give their views about the service. Processes were in place to manage and respond to complaints and concerns. The provider undertook a range of audits to check on the quality of care provided.

Rating at last inspection:

At the last inspection the service was rated good (10 August 2016.)

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection to check that this service remained good.

Follow up:

We did not identify any concerns at this inspection. We will therefore re-inspect this service within the published timeframe for services rated good. We will continue to monitor the service through the information we receive.

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