Background to this inspection
Updated
6 December 2019
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 was carried out by two inspectors and two Expert by Experiences. 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
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection and so that people were available to speak to us. Inspection activity started on 2 October 2019 and ended on 4 October 2019. We visited the office location on 3 October 2019.
What we did before the 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. We telephoned and spoke to 15 people and six relatives before the site visit. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with six members of staff including the registered manager, operations manager, three supervisors and a healthcare assistant. We reviewed a range of records. This included seven people’s care records and 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 received feedback from seven professionals who have a working partnership with the service.
Updated
6 December 2019
About the service
Kardinal Healthcare Ltd is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people living in their own homes. It provides a service to older adults, people who live with dementia and younger adults with physical disabilities. At the time of the inspection the service was supporting 127 people in Worthing and the surrounding areas.
Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were protected from avoidable harm and abuse. Safeguarding policies and procedures were embedded within practice and were consistently followed. Staff had recognised signs of abuse and had reported any concerns.
People told us they were happy with the care they received, and that staff helped them to feel safe. Risk assessments and care plans guided staff in how to provide care safely and in the way the person preferred. There were enough suitable staff employed to cover all the care visits. People said they received their calls on time and for the duration that they expected. Staff supported people to have their prescribed medicines safely.
People were supported to ensure their healthcare needs were met. People were encouraged to live healthy lives and received food of their choice.
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.
People received kind and compassionate care. People’s independence was promoted by staff. People were treated with respect and dignity and supported to make decisions about their care. One person said, “It’s a good service; they’ve never let me down. There’s never been a problem with a carer, they’ve never cancelled a visit. I’ve got complete confidence in them.”
People received personalised care that was tailored to meet their individual needs, preferences and choices. Care plans were detailed and guided staff about people's needs and how to meet them. People’s concerns and complaints were listened to and used to improve the service they received. Staff had training and experience to provide end of life support when people needed it.
The registered manager and service managers were well regarded and had a clear vision for the service which was understood by the staff and embedded within their practice. One person said, “The manager is lovely, and I think she does a superb job.” There were effective quality assurance systems in place that were used to drive service improvements. People, their relatives and staff were asked for their feedback about the home and meetings were held regularly.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
This service was registered with us on 09/10/2018 and this is the first inspection since that registration. The last rating for this service was good (published 18 September 2018). Since this rating was awarded the service has moved premises. We have used the previous rating to inform our planning and decisions about the rating at this inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the timescales set out on our registration programme.
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.