Key2Support

Key2Support is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. At the time of our inspection the service was providing support to 107 people.

At our last inspection, we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

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

People told us they received safe care. Records showed that staff had been recruited safely and the staff we spoke with were aware of how to safeguard adults at risk. There were safe processes in place for the management and administration of medicines.

People told us staff visited them on time and stayed as long as they should. They told us they liked the staff who supported them and they were supported by staff they knew.

Staff received an effective induction and appropriate training which was updated regularly. People supported by the service and their relatives felt that staff were competent and had the knowledge and skills to meet their needs.

People received appropriate support with eating, drinking and their healthcare needs. Referrals were made to community health and social care professionals to ensure that people’s needs were met.

People told us staff treated them with dignity and respected their right to privacy. They told us staff encouraged them to be independent and did not rush them when providing support.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way; the policies and systems at the service supported this practice. Where people lacked the capacity to make decisions about their care, the service had taken appropriate action in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

We saw evidence that people received care that reflected their needs, risks and preferences. People’s care needs had been discussed with them and they were involved in everyday decisions about their care.

People being supported and their relatives told us they were happy with how the service was being managed. They found the registered manager and staff approachable. Staff told us the registered manager was approachable and they felt well supported.

The registered manager regularly sought feedback from people being supported and their relatives. We noted that people had expressed a high level of satisfaction about all areas of the service.

Audits and checks of the service were completed regularly. We found the checks completed were effective in ensuring that appropriate levels of quality and safety were maintained at the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

Key2Support is a domiciliary care agency that offers personal care and support to people with a variety of needs including older people, people living with dementia, mental ill health, physical disabilities or a learning disability. The agency’s office is located in Oswaldtwistle in East Lancashire. At the time of our visits the service was providing support to 53 people.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager at the service who had been in post since 2011. 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.

At our last inspection on 31 December 2013, we found that the provider was compliant with all of the standards that were reviewed at that time.

During our inspection, people told us they received safe care. Staff had a good understanding of how to safeguard vulnerable adults from abuse and what action to take if they suspected abuse was taking place.

We saw evidence that staff had been recruited safely. They received an appropriate induction, effective training and regular supervision. Staff told us they felt well supported by the registered manager.

There were processes in place for the safe administration of medicines and people told us they received their medicines, including pain relief, when they should. People were supported with their healthcare needs and referred to healthcare professionals when appropriate.

People told us they were happy with the service they received. They told us staff arrived on time and stayed for the full duration of the visit. People were involved in planning their care and where they lacked the capacity to make decisions about their care, their relatives were involved.

People told us the staff who supported them were caring and respected their privacy and dignity when providing care. People were encouraged to be as independent as possible.

Staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the importance of making decisions in people’s best interests, when they lacked the capacity to make decisions about their own care.

People were asked to give feedback about the service in annual questionnaires. We saw evidence that the registered manager used the feedback received to improve the service.

People told us that staff and the management were approachable and they were happy with the way the service was being managed.

We saw evidence that staff practice was observed regularly and checks were made of care documentation. These checks were effective in ensuring that appropriate levels of care and safety were maintained.

The service users were very satisfied with the service. They said the service was reliable - carers were punctual and very rarely missed a call. Most people also said they had a regular group of carers who only changed when necessary. They made the following comments: "I'm very happy with the service", "They put themselves out for me" and "They (the staff) are very thoughtful; I'm very pleased with them ". We found staff also gave safe support with medication and nutrition.

The members of staff we spoke with said there were good training opportunities and they felt sufficiently trained and competent in their work. They felt Key2Support was a good agency to work for and that the senior staff were supportive.

The service users felt the support workers treated them with respect and upheld their dignity. Their comments included, "They always treat me properly", "Personal care is always carried out in a dignified way, they are always polite and never rush", and "My service is excellent; they help me lead a normal life".

The people we spoke with told us the service met their needs in a flexible, reliable and personal way through small consistent groups of staff led by a main carer. They said the service was adjusted on a daily basis depending on choice and need. Comments included, "It is very flexible for my needs, and "If I wanted to go to a concert my support worker would sort this out with me". Both people spoken with had no concerns, but knew what to do if they had.

Staff told us there were good training opportunities, and good staff support systems in place, that helped them provide a high quality service.