KMX Nursing Agency

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

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 provider made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.People’s care was planned and personalised to meet their needs. Support plans detailed individual preferences, who and what was important to people and included their goals and aspirations. Staff told us they worked in line with people’s planned support; however, remained flexible to meet their needs in the moment. Staff described what person-centred care meant to them, a staff member said, “Person-centred care means treating each client as an individual, respecting their choices, routines, and preferences. It’s about putting the person, not just the task at the heart of what we do. It’s about listening and adapting the care to suit them, not the other way around.” Relatives told us staff understood their family members and took time to get to know them well. Comments included, “[Person] is normally quite responsive to staff, [person] has a game with them and keeps them on their toes. [Person] goes out with staff with a smile on their face.”

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity. People were supported by a core group of regular staff, relatives said this helped their family members feel comfortable and confident. A relative described how their family member had declined support prior to the service starting, due to a continuity of staff their family member had started to accept assistance. They said, “Everything has been fantastic from day one. We had problems before we had KMX. Showers and personal care [person] didn’t want them. KMX staff joke around and have a laugh with [person]. When it was us trying to help [person] they would say ‘no tomorrow or next week’. [Person] was also supported by [another organisation], they would try to encourage but didn’t always work. (With KMX) we haven’t had one quibble or ‘no’, [person] knows when their ‘nurses’ come.” A professional commented, “I have had positive feedback from the service users parents. From this feedback, I note that the carers have worked to build rapport with the service user to be able to understand their communication and complex needs.”

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. The management team completed individual Accessible Information Standards (AIS) assessments to ascertain what adaptations people required. Information and documentation were available in formats to suit people’s needs, for example, questionnaires were pictorial so people could easily provide feedback about the service. People had comprehensive communication plans to support staff and others working with them to understand their needs. A staff member told us about how they promoted effective communication with a person and said, “At times [person] makes choices though their communication board by picking out pictures of the things that they want to do. Respecting these choices helps them feel in control.”

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result. The registered manager frequently visited people and responded in person to incidents to allow people to provide direct feedback or raise concerns. Relatives told us they knew how to complain and trusted managers to listen to them. A relative said, “I have no complaints, no suggestions needed but feel confident that managers would listen. Once I asked them to bring more face masks, managers sorted this out, it was dealt with and we were happy with the outcome.” Complaints were shared with staff for wider learning.

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. People and their relatives were able to access the management team 24 hours a day. A relative said, “There’s always someone to speak with day or night.” Relatives gave examples of where they have requested changes to accommodate their family members social needs or medical appointments. One said, “[Person] has been on a trip a few times where they have been late back, so staff have had to do a bit extra. They were happy to stay.” The management team worked with other professionals to ensure people could safely access areas of their homes or safely leave their homes. Examples of this included adaptations made to bathrooms, grabrails, a change of flooring and modifications to allow for ramps.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this. Staff and managers advocated for people who were at risk of not receiving the care they needed. We reviewed an incident where a person was not permitted to access a public event by the organiser, staff championed for the person to be allowed access but this was denied. Staff knew the person’s preferences and took them to another venue which they enjoyed. Staff told us how well they knew people and how they watched for reactions in response to their support. A staff member said, “I supported a client who was often uncomfortable because their underwear didn’t fit them properly. This caused noticeable distress, especially when getting dressed or moving around, and sometimes led to frustration or agitation during personal care. I recorded my observations in the daily notes and reported the issue directly to the office. I explained how this was affecting the client’s comfort and mood. After I raised the concern, the manager contacted the family, and arrangements were made to provide properly fitting clothing. The client’s comfort improved, and they became more settled during care routines. This experience reminded me how even small issues, when addressed early, can make a big difference in a client’s quality of life.”

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life. People were supported to plan for their futures; the management team were working with families and professionals to source suitable day centres for some people. A person’s goal was to use public transport; staff were working with the person the meet their aim for this to be achieved independently. No person was being supported with end of life care at the time of our inspection. The registered manager told us they have supported people with palliative care in the past and worked with relevant professionals to promote a comfortable and dignified death.