Kilkenny House

Updated 16 August 2023

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 1 inspector.

Service and service type

This service is registered as a domiciliary care agency. At the time of the inspection the service also provided care and support to people living in specialist 'extra care' housing. It provides personal care to people living in their own flats.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

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 27 July 2023 and ended on 01 August 2023. We visited the service on 27 and 28 July 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 7 members of staff including care assistants, support workers, team leaders, the registered manager and the service manager. We also spoke with 4 people who use the service and 5 relatives. We reviewed a range of records, including 5 people’s care plans and associated risk assessments, service audits and 4 staff recruitment files.

Updated 16 August 2023

About the service

Kilkenny House is an extra care housing scheme. Extra care housing is purpose-built or adapted single household accommodation in a shared site or building. The accommodation is rented, and is the occupant's own home. At the time of our visit there were 37 people using the service.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Risks associated with people’s care were assessed but these assessments required more detail. Medicines were managed safely, however ‘protocols for ‘as and when required’ (PRN) medicines were not in place to help guide staff when to administer these. Governance systems were not always effective. There was a lack of oversight at provider level, however the registered manager had developed their own internal audits to monitor the quality of the service and take actions as needed.

People felt safe and were protected from the risk of harm and abuse. Risks to people were assessed and plans were in place to mitigate these risks. Staff received appropriate training and were supported with regular supervisions. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs and staff were recruited safely.

People were asked to give their consent for support and the principles of the Mental Capacity Act were followed. 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 to eat and drink and maintain healthy lives. People were supported to access healthcare services where needed.

Staff treated people with kindness, dignity and respect. People were complementary about the staff and the service they received. People were involved in decisions about their care and received regular reviews where they could provide feedback.

People and relatives were complementary about the activities and engagement opportunities provided by the service. People were given opportunities to maintain their social relationships and to maintain their independence.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 01 January 2018)

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Kilkenny House on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Recommendations

We have made recommendations in relation to medicines’ management and provider oversight.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.