Archived: Kare Plus Hampshire

Updated 29 March 2023

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 1 inspector and an Expert by Experience. 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 homes.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 16 February 2023 and ended on 27 February 2023. We visited the location’s office on 16 February 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We sought feedback from the local authority and used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 6 people and 6 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We received feedback from 7 members of staff including the registered manager and nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We received written responses from 3 health and social care professionals.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 3 people's care and support records and 2 people’s medicine administration records. We looked at 2 staff files in relation to recruitment and training. We also reviewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures, staffing rotas, accident and incident records, safeguarding records and quality assurance reports.

Updated 29 March 2023

About the service

Kare Plus Hampshire is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care and support to people living in their own homes. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. At the time of this inspection 19 people were receiving the regulated activity of personal care from the service. 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

Not all risks to people had been assessed. People had care plans in place, these did not include detailed information to guide staff on how to provide care and support. However, people told us staff understood their individual needs as they often had familiar staff and those staff knew them well. People told us staff were kind when providing support.

People were not supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff did not support them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service did not support this practice.

Care plans were not detailed, or person-centred. People were not encouraged to be as independent as possible. Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. People could communicate with staff and understand information given to them because staff supported them consistently and understood their individual communication needs.

The provider's monitoring processes were not always effective in helping to ensure people consistently received good quality care and support. People did not always receive good quality care and support because staff did not have the right training or support to meet people's needs and wishes. Staff told us they did not always feel supported by the management of the service.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people. We considered this guidance as there were people using the service who have a learning disability and or who are autistic.

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 11 November 2021 and this is the first inspection. The last rating for the service under the previous provider was requires improvement, published on 15 January 2020.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Enforcement and recommendations

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.

We have identified breaches in relation to person- centred care, safe care and treatment and good governance at this inspection.

We made recommendations about safeguarding, the Mental Capacity Act and staff training.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.