We carried out a review of the data available to us about MyLife (Kent) on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about MyLife (Kent), you can give feedback on this service.
MyLife (Kent) is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of the inspection around 120 people were receiving a regulated activity. The service is also registered to support people with Community healthcare. However, they were not providing this support at the time of the inspection. The service is registered to provide support to the whole population, meaning people of all ages. A wide range of people accessed the service including older people and younger adults. 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 and their relatives were positive about the support they received from staff. Comments included, “One of the best agencies and I wouldn’t change from them.” And, “This is an excellent agency. [My relative] is really safe in their hands.”
However, some people and staff told us they were not always informed when care visits were late or moved. This was an area for improvement. Staff told us they were not always informed when changes to the rota was made. This is an area for improvement.
People were protected from the risk of abuse. Staff knew how to identify, and report concerns, and action was taken if concerns arose. Risks to people’s health and well-being were assessed and there was guidance for staff on how to support people safely.
People received their medicines as prescribed and were supported by staff who were trained in medicines administration. There were no missed calls and people received their care as planned. There were a small number of late calls, however action was being taken to address this. Staff were recruited safely.
Incidents were reported, and action was taken to reduce the risk of re-occurrence. Staff had access to PPE and people and their relatives told us they wore this as appropriate.
People received support individualised to their needs. People were supported to access healthcare services where this support was needed. 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. For example, staff knew to offer people choices.
People and their relatives told us staff were kind and caring. People’s dignity and privacy were protected. People were encouraged to be independent as much as possible. People were supported to express their views and input into their care planning. Where people had needs relating to equality and diversity these were supported.
Support provided to people was individualised. If people have complained their complaints had been addressed. No one at the service was at the end of their life. Some end of life care plans were in place. There were plans in place to speak to other people about their end of life preferences.
The service worked in partnership with other agencies to provide support to people. Checks on the quality of the service were in place. People and staff were invited to provide feedback about the service. The registered manager was aware of their legal responsibilities. For example, notifications about significant events were submitted to CQC as required.
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 27 April 2020).
Why we inspected
We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services rated Good and Outstanding.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for MyLife (Kent) on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.
My Life Living Assistance (Kent) is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people living in their own homes. 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. The service was providing personal care to approximately 141 people at the time of the inspection. Two of these people were under the age of 18 years old.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The service focused on supporting people to increase their confidence and build self-esteem by ensuring people felt valued. Staff were kind and well-motivated and had gone the extra mile to provide excellent levels of support to people. People and relatives had recognised where staff had done this and thanked them through nominating them for an award. Promoting independence was at the heart of each member of staffs working practice. The service promoted people’s inclusion within society and had strong links with the community.
Support was person centred and tailored to people’s needs. People had been involved in choosing their own care staff and planning their own support. Staff had supported people to build relationships within the community and be active in society. People’s end of life care had been planned for so that staff understood people’s preferences. Staff were passionate about providing good quality care to people at the end of their lives. One staff member said, “It is nice we can give good care at the end. We are offered counselling if we need it. It’s about knowing what they want, try to fit your care in to this, respect their decisions and involve the family.”
Feedback from people and their relatives about the service was positive. One person said, “[Staff member] comes in Monday to Friday she is marvellous, she does not miss a trick. She asks me every day what I want.” Another person said, “They seem to do everything I need and sometimes without being asked.”
Staff had been recruited safely to ensure they were suitable to work with people. People told us they had regular staff who they knew well. Their regular staff arrived at the right time to meet their needs. People were well supported by competent, knowledgeable and well-trained staff. Staff were extremely well supported by the management team.
The service was very well-led. The management team carried out the appropriate checks to ensure that the quality of the service was continuously reviewed, improved and evolved to meet people’s changing needs. The registered manager promoted an open culture and was a visible presence in the service, staff felt supported by the management team, they felt listened to and valued. Staff received messages of thanks and were rewarded for hard work, dedication and going the extra mile.
Where required, people were supported to ensure their dietary needs and preferences were met. Staff worked closely with occupational therapists and other agencies to assess people’s needs and ensure people were supported with their changing needs.
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 and their relatives told us their choices and decisions were listened to and they were in control of their support. On a day to day basis people directed their care. People and their relatives told us they were asked how they liked things to be done. People said staff treated them with dignity and their privacy was respected. People were supported to be as independent as possible.
People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm and risks to people were managed. The management team promoted an open culture to encourage staff to raise any concerns. People’s medicines were well managed. If people or their relatives wanted to complain they knew how to do so.
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 17 April 2018). Since this rating was awarded the registered provider of the service has altered its legal entity (16 April 2019). 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 previous rating.
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.