Kells Domiciliary Care Ltd

Updated 9 October 2020

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

This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

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 short notice of the inspection as we were mindful of the impact and added

pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic on the service. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances and requirements arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Inspection activity started on 22 September 2020 and ended on 28 September 2020. We visited the office location on 22 September 2020. The other days were spent reviewing records, speaking to staff, people and their relatives who used the service.

What we did before the inspection

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed the provider’s action plan as well as information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This information helps support our inspections.

During the inspection

We spoke with the nominated individual, the registered manager and the administrator. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care and medicine 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 spoke with one person using the service and three relatives of people using the service. We also spoke with three care staff. We continued to seek clarification from the registered manager to validate evidence found.

Updated 9 October 2020

About the service

Kells Domiciliary Care Ltd is a domiciliary care agency providing the regulated activity of personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of the inspection the service was supporting four people.

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

The service had implemented the required improvements since the last inspection.

Recruitment checks were complete and adequately assessed staff suitability to work with vulnerable adults.

People received their medicines safely and as prescribed by care staff who had been trained and assessed as competent to administer medicines.

Risk assessments and management plans had been compiled to ensure people were supported to remain safe and free from harm. However, the service had not always fully assessed and recorded certain specific individualised risks associated with people’s health and medical needs. This was addressed immediately following the inspection.

One person and relatives told us they felt safe and confident with the care and support that they received from their care worker. Care staff had received training on how to recognise abuse and the processes to follow to report their concerns.

Care staff had access to the required personal protective equipment (PPE), information and guidance to prevent and control the spread of infection.

One person and relatives spoke positively about the management of the service, the quality of care delivery and the registered manager who they found to be responsive and accommodating.

Care staff felt supported and valued in their role.

The overall management oversight of the service had improved since the last inspection. The nominated individual and the registered manager had implemented audits and checks to monitor the quality of care and ensure where issues were identified these were addressed.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 17 May 2019). There was a breach of regulation 17 (Good Governance) and two recommendations relating to staff recruitment and medicines management. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions of Safe and Well-led which contain those requirements and recommendations.

The ratings from the previous comprehensive inspection for those key questions not looked at on this occasion were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Kells Domiciliary Care Ltd on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

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.