31 January 2017
During a routine inspection
Kings Care is registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes. There were 17 people using the service on the day of our inspection.
The service is not required to have a registered manager. We met with the provider who is an individual and who carries out the day-to-day management of the service and staff team.
The provider had not carried out consistent checks on prospective staff to ensure they were suitable to work with people. They had not ensured staff had the training, supervision and appraisals needed to support them in fulfilling their roles. The provider’s quality assurance systems and processes were not sufficiently robust, and had not enabled them to identify and address significant shortfalls in the quality of the service. The provider had failed to notify CQC of a change in the service’s address, as required under their registration with us.
Staff were aware of the different forms and potential signs of abuse, and knew how to report any concerns of this nature. The risks associated with people’s individual care and support needs were assessed and managed. People’s involvement in decisions about the risks affecting them was encouraged by the provider. People received a consistent and reliable service, because the provider assessed, monitored and organised their staffing requirements. People had the level of support they needed to take their prescribed medicines.
Staff respected people’s choices and supported their decision making. Staff supported people to have enough to eat and drink as required. Staff helped people to request professional medical advice and treated whenever they needed this.
Staff adopted a caring and compassionate approach to their work with people. People were able to express their views to the provider and be involved in decisions about their care and support. People were treated with dignity and respect.
People’s care and support took into account their individual needs and preferences. People’s care plans reflected an individualised approach, and staff made use of these. The provider had developed procedures to ensure any concerns or complaints about the service were handled appropriately.
People and their relatives had an open, ongoing dialogue with the provider. Staff felt well-supported by the management team and had confidence in their ability to act on issues brought to their attention.