Background to this inspection
Updated
4 August 2021
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 Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection team consisted of two inspectors, an assistant inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.
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
This inspection was announced. Due to the pandemic, we gave a short period notice of the inspection to enable us to collate as much information as possible virtually to minimise the time spent by the inspection team visiting the provider’s office.
Inspection activity started on 5 July 2021 and ended on 16 July 2021. We visited the office location on 16 July 2021.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.
During the inspection
We spoke with seven people who used the service and seven relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with the registered manager and two members of staff. We received written feedback from four members of staff.
We reviewed a range of records. This included eight people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We reviewed feedback received from three health and social care professionals whom the service regularly engages with.
Updated
4 August 2021
About the service
Kolours Healthcare is a domiciliary care service which offers personal care and support to people living in their own homes. At the time of the inspection, the service was supporting 69 people.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
We received positive feedback from people and their relatives about the quality of care people received.
People told us they felt safe being supported by Kolours Healthcare. Staff were recruited safely. People were safeguarded against the risk of abuse and were supported by a consistent team of staff who understood their needs well. Risks to people’s safety had been identified, assessed and monitored.
Systems were in place for the safe management of medicines. People were supported to take their medicines as prescribed. People’s care plans detailed the support people required to manage their medicines. Staff received appropriate training and on-going competency checks to ensure they administered medicines safely. The registered manager carried out regular audits of medicine records.
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.
Quality assurance systems were in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service people received. People and staff were asked for their views to help drive improvements. Staff felt supported by the registered manager and received on-going training, spot checks and supervision. There was an open culture within the service and staff worked together as a team. The registered manager worked in partnership with other health and social care professionals to ensure people’s care and support needs were met.
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 21 November 2017).
Why we inspected
The inspection was prompted in part by notification of a specific incident when a person using the service sustained a serious injury. This incident is subject to a criminal investigation. As a result, this inspection did not examine the circumstances of the incident.
The information CQC received about the incident indicated concerns about the management of risks associated with people’s care needs. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.
We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Kolours Healthcare on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.