Archived: Kit Care Agency

Updated 7 July 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 17 May and was unannounced.

The inspection team consisted of one 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. Our expert by experience had experience in the care and support of people with learning disabilities.

We looked at information received from local authority commissioners. Commissioners are people who work to find appropriate care and support services for people and fund the care provided.

We reviewed the provider’s statement of purpose and the notifications we had been sent. A statement of purpose is a document which includes a standard required set of information about a service. Notifications are changes, events or incidents that providers must tell us about.

We spoke with three people using the service, five relatives, and two social workers who had placed people at the service. We also spoke with the registered manager, the care manager, and three support workers.

We looked at records relating to all aspects of the service including care, staffing, and quality assurance. We also looked at four people’s care records.

Updated 7 July 2018

This was an unannounced inspection that took place on 17 May 2018.

We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 6 October 2016. Two breaches of legal requirements were found. This was because the registered manager failed to demonstrate that people’s care was always provided in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and systems and processes were not in place to ensure the quality and safety of the service.

After the comprehensive inspection, the provider wrote to us to say what they would do to meet legal requirements in relation to the breaches. At this inspection we found that action had been taken and both breaches had been met.

Kit Care Agency is registered to provide personal care for up to 10 adults with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorders. At the time of this inspection 10 people were using the service.

This service provides care and support to people living in a ‘supported living’ setting, so they can live in their own home as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

This service has a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The service had a caring, family atmosphere. The staff treated people with kindness, respect and compassion. They knew the people they supported well and were knowledgeable about their routines, likes and dislikes, and personal preferences.

People and relatives were involved in planning people’s care. Care plans were personalised and provided staff with clear instructions about how to support people in the way they wanted. People took part in activities they enjoyed, for example college, volunteering, attending day centres, and accessing the community.

People felt safe at the service. Staff knew how to protect people from harm. Risks to people were assessed and their safety monitored. People told us that having enough staff available to support them made them feel safe. They also said staff helped them to have their medicines safely.

Staff were knowledgeable about the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and sought people’s consent before providing them with care and support. People were encouraged to express their views and be actively involved in making decisions about their lives. They told us staff always asked them what they wanted before assisting them with their daily routines.

Staff supported people to shop and cook for themselves and to eat healthily. Staff were trained in nutrition and encouraged people to have a balanced diet and remain hydrated. People had access to healthcare services and specialist support when they needed it.

People told us they would speak out if they had any concerns about the service. The service’s complaints procedure was pictorial and user-friendly. If people did complain staff addressed their concerns and worked with them to bring about a resolution.

The service was well-led and people and relatives made many positive comments about it. They said it was a safe, happy place where people were respected and valued. Managers asked people and relatives for feedback on the service and made changes where necessary.

The managers and staff were open, friendly and helpful. People, relatives and staff said they liked the family atmosphere at the service. Relatives told us they could visit the service at any time and were always made welcome.

The managers carried out regular audits which led to improvements being made to the service. They worked in partnership with other health and social care professionals to ensure people’s need were met.