Sister Kate Ltd

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

We looked for evidence that staff involved people in decisions about their care and treatment and provided them advice and support. Staff regularly reviewed people’s care and worked with other services to achieve this.

This is the first inspection for this service since its registration with CQC. This key question has been rated as good.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The service made sure people’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them.

Feedback from clients using the service was positive, they felt involved in any assessment of their needs and were confident that staff understood their individual and cultural needs.

Staff completed an assessment of each person in a timely manner when they attended the ear wax removal service. Staff completed an assessment at the beginning of each person’s visit to the service. This included identifying the presenting complaint; the person’s medical history and potential infections or other risks. Staff explained the treatment processes as part of the assessment and gave the person sufficient information to enable them to give informed consent.

The provider used an online system for recording notes of each procedure. This was completed with the person throughout the appointment. Following the procedure the provider recorded a summary of the process, the outcome, and if there had been any conditions identified that needed further action or follow up. For example, if the person was advised to visit their GP or if the use of ear sprays was recommended.

The service planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them. They did this in line with legislation and current evidence-based good practice and standards.

The service worked well across teams and services to support people. They made sure people only needed to tell their story once by sharing their assessment of needs when people moved between different services.

If there were problems that required further attention, the provider advised the person to attend their GP. If a person needed to be seen by a secondary care specialist, they would be referred by their GP. The provider had a standard template letter for GP referrals, which ensured they contained key information, and which additional information about the person’s condition was added.

The provider had a contract with the local Integrated Care Board (ICB) to deliver an ear wax removal service for a local GP practice. People’s details were shared between the provider and the practice so that appointments could be arranged. The GP practice shared a completed assessment form, and the provider contacted people directly to arrange an appointment.

The service supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to maximise their independence, choice and control. The service supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support.

The service routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves.

The service told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment.

Staff understood and applied legislation relating to consent. Staff took all practical steps to enable people to make their own decisions. As part of the assessment process the provider explained to people what the treatment involved, potential risks, and the success of the outcome. Children under 16 years old were only seen by the provider and usually attended appointments with a parent or guardian. The provider would always ensure that consent was obtained initially from the young person to ensure they wanted the treatment. However, consent was not always clearly recorded in people’s records.

For people who may have impaired mental capacity, staff told us they assessed their capacity to consent appropriately, although this was not always recorded. The provider told us that some people may have dementia or a learning disability. They would usually have someone with them to support them, such as a family member or carer. Staff had a good understanding of capacity. However, not all staff had completed appropriate training around mental capacity, learning disability or autism.