About the service:

Kcare is a domiciliary care agency (DCA) registered to provide personal care to people living in their own houses and flats around Oxford area. It provides a service to both younger and older adults. At the time of the inspection the agency was providing personal care and support to 29 people.

People’s experience of using this service:

People told us they felt safe with the staff. There was sufficient number of safely recruited staff. People were supported to have their medicines administered to them in a timely manner and as prescribed. Risks to people’s well-being and environment had been assessed and recorded. The lessons learnt process had not always been effectively followed but there was a positive approach going forward demonstrated by the new interim manager.

People 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. Staff were familiar with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act. People were supported to access health professionals and maintain good diet and nutrition.

People told us they received caring and kind support. Staff respected people’s privacy, dignity and their individual needs, including communication needs. People were supported to be independent and told us they were in control of the support they had.

People told us they received support that met their needs. People knew how to raise any concerns and told us any concerns were promptly addressed. No people received end of life support at the time of our inspection.

There was a registered manager who was the director of the company and also the registered manager for the provider’s two other branches based in surrounding counties. The day to day management was provided by an interim manager and a team of staff. We found the provider and registered manager did not ensure they met all of their regulatory responsibilities. This included the requirement to display the rating and the requirement to inform the Care Quality Commission about reportable occurrences.

Rating at last inspection:

Good (report published 25 July 2016).

Why we inspected:

This was our scheduled, planned inspection based on previous rating.

Follow up:

We will monitor all intelligence received about the service to inform the assessment of the risk profile of the service and to ensure the next planned inspection is scheduled accordingly.

More information is in Detailed Findings below.

We inspected Kcare Nursing Agency Ltd on 21 and 25 July 2016. The service does not offer nursing support. Kcare are also a professional healthcare recruitment agency providing temporary and permanent staff to a broad range of services. Kcare Nursing Agency is a domiciliary care service. Kcare provides support and personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of this inspection 28 people were supported by the agency.

There was a registered manager in post at the service. 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. On the day of our inspection the registered manager was on annual leave.

People told us they felt safe and the support they received was good. Staff knew how to assist people to maintain their safety. Staff understood their responsibility to protect people from harm and abuse and they knew how to report any safeguarding concerns appropriately. Individual risks around people’s condition and their environment were assessed and recorded.

The provider had systems in place for the safe administration of medicines. People were supported to receive their medicine when needed. People were supported to maintain good health and were assisted to access to health services when required.

People were cared for by staff that were knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities and had the relevant skills and experience. Staff received training required for their roles and they told us they were well supported by the management team. There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs and people received their support as planned. Records relating to the recruitment of new staff showed relevant checks had been completed before staff worked unsupervised with people.

The staff followed the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). This protected the rights of people who may not be able to make important decisions themselves. People benefitted from staff that understood and implemented the principles of the act. People told us they were involved in making decision about support they received.

People told us they were able to form caring relationships with the staff and that staff respected their dignity and privacy. People’s confidentiality was respected and their independence was promoted.

People’s needs were assessed prior to commencement of the service to ensure their needs could be met. People’s care records contained details of people’s personal preferences, likes, dislikes and health needs. People’s care plans were up to date and reflected people’s current needs.

The registered manager sought people’s opinions using satisfaction surveys and spot checks. People told us they knew how to raise concerns and they were confident any issues would be promptly addressed.

The management regularly audited the quality of service delivered. The registered manager had a system to monitor the accidents to identify any trends or patterns. There was an open and positive culture at the service and clear lines of accountability. Staff commented they felt valued and they enjoyed working at the service.