Knightingles Healthcare Bedfordshire Limited

Updated 29 December 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2014 and to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Before the inspection, we reviewed information we held about the service including statutory notifications. Statutory notifications include information about important events which the provider is required to send us. We received a provider information return (PIR) for this inspection. This is information that the provider is required to send to us, which gives us some key information about the service and tells us what the service does well and any improvements they plan to make.

The inspection commenced on 4 December 2018 with a visit to the provider’s office. The inspection was announced and carried out by one inspector. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice of our intended inspection to make sure that appropriate staff were available to assist us with the inspection. Following the office visit, we made telephone calls to people who received a service and their relatives.

During the inspection we spoke with two people who used the service, two relatives, four staff members, and the registered manager and the nominated individual. We reviewed information from service commissioners and health and social care professionals. We viewed information relating to two people’s care and support. We also reviewed records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 29 December 2018

This was the first inspection since the service was registered in December 2017.

Knightingles Healthcare Bedfordshire Limited is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. It provides a service to older adults and younger adults who have a learning disability. The service also supports children who may have a physical or learning disability. The service was supporting 24 people with the regulated activity of personal care.

Not everyone using Knightingles Healthcare Bedfordshire Limited receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.

The service had a manager who was registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. In this instance, the registered manager is also the provider.

People, their relatives and staff were positive about the management of the service. There were systems in place to maintain and to further develop the service to ensure everyone consistently received care and support to a high standard. The ethos of the service was putting people at the heart of what they do and staff were aware of this expectation. Staff were happy to work with a management team who listened to them and put people first.

People felt safe using the service. The staff and management of the service knew how to effectively manage risks to reduce the risk of harm. There were enough staff who were recruited safely to meet people’s needs. Peoples’ medicines were managed safely and effective infection control was practised.

People were supported by staff who were trained and received regular supervision. People were supported with eating and drinking when needed. The staff worked in accordance of the principles of the Mental Capacity Act. The staff and management liaised with health and social care professionals to assist people as needed.

People told us staff were kind and caring. People were involved in planning and reviewing their care. Confidentiality, privacy and dignity was promoted. People’s care and support needs were met. People’s support plans were detailed and person centred. Complaints were responded to appropriately and feedback was sought.