We carried out a review of the data available to us about Oath Healthcare 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 Oath Healthcare, you can give feedback on this service.
Kare Plus Cambridge is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of the inspection, the service was supporting 20 people with personal care.
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
There was no registered manager in post, but the service was well managed by the current manager. They had started the process to register with CQC. People, relatives and staff were asked for their views about the service and they felt listened to. There were robust quality monitoring processes to ensure continual improvements were made. There was collaborative working with other professionals to ensure people received the right support.
People said they felt safe and well supported by staff. Staff reported concerns about people’s safety or welfare to the manager so that these could be dealt with quickly. Risks to people had been managed well. Medicines were managed safely by trained staff. Staff followed infection prevention and control guidance to reduce the risk of infections. There were reviews of incidents and accidents, and preventative actions had been taken when needed.
People’s needs were assessed, and there were detailed care plans to help staff provide effective care. People were supported by staff who were appropriately trained for their roles. Staff felt supported by the manager. When required, staff supported people well to eat and drink.
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 said staff were caring and friendly. They said staff sometimes went over and beyond the planned care to support them. One person said, “If I forget something from the shopping list, [staff] will always pick it up for me and bring it next time they come. They are brilliant.” Staff had good relationships with people, and they enjoyed working at the service. People were involved in discussions about their care and support, and they had copies of their care plans. Staff supported people in a way that promoted their privacy, dignity and independence.
People said their care was planned and delivered in a way that met their individual needs. People’s complaints and concerns were dealt with and the information was used to improve the service. Staff supported people at the end of their lives if this support was 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 service was inspected in December 2020 in Safe and Well-led only, but it was not rated (published 04 February 2021).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the provider’s registration date and our monitoring of the service.
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.
Kare Plus Cambridge is a domiciliary (home care) care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. 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 consider any wider social care provided.
At the time of our inspection there were 12 people receiving the regulated activity of personal care in their home and a further 5 people were in hospital.
People’s experience of using the service and what we found
There were enough safely recruited staff with the skills to meet people’s needs at a time people preferred. We found there had been a missed call in November 2020. Electronic systems were in place for monitoring calls, although staff required training, so it could be used effectively.
The provider had arranged in July 2020 an external audit to be completed against the fundamental standards for good care. There were action plans implemented from this to improve the service. However, although some actions had been completed this was still a work in progress.
Staff undertook training in how to keep people safe and had completed safeguarding training. Staff knew how to identify and report any potential safeguarding concerns. Staff received spot checks to ensure best practice and competency checks for the administration of medicines.
Staff understood and had completed infection control training. Staff confirmed they had access to personal protection equipment (PPE) such as face masks, gloves antibacterial hand gel and aprons. The provider ensured all relevant updates were shared with staff.
The provider had made improvements to the service, there were quality assurance systems in place that helped identify and implement changes that promote good quality care. All the people and staff we spoke with spoke positively about the service. The manager and provider worked well with other professionals to help provide joined up care.
Rating at last inspection
This service was registered with us on 10 June 2019. This is the first inspection of this service, but as this was a focused inspection, we are not able to provide an overall rating. This is because we have not assessed all domains and key questions.
Why we inspected
We received concerns in relation to staffing, late calls and no registered manager. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.
We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from these concerns.
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.