Archived: Kind Hearts Care & Support

Updated 7 April 2015

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 15 December 2014 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be available at the office.

The inspection team consisted of two inspectors and one 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.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also reviewed other information we held about the service. This included statutory notifications the manager had sent us. A statutory notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send to us by law.

We spoke in total with fifteen people who used the service. We spoke by telephone with 12 people who used the service and relatives of two other people. We also visited three people in their own homes. We also spoke with the manager, deputy manager, team coordinator and four care workers.

We reviewed records held at the agency office, this included six people’s care records to see how their care and treatment was planned and delivered. We reviewed four staff recruitment files and the training records for all of the staff employed and the arrangements in place to support staff. This was to check staff were recruited safely and trained and supported to deliver care appropriate to each person’s needs. We also looked at the records of complaints and how these were managed to check that people’s complaints were addressed appropriately. We looked at the systems the provider had in place to ensure the quality of the service was continuously monitored and reviewed to drive improvement.

Updated 7 April 2015

We inspected this service on 15 December 2014 and the inspection was announced. This meant the provider and staff knew we would be visiting the agency’s office before we arrived. This was the first inspection undertaken at this service since its registration on 16 May 2013.

Kind Hearts Care & Support provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes in Lichfield and surrounding areas. At the time of our visit 52 people were receiving a service.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. 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 felt safe with the care staff that supported them. The manager and staff understood their responsibilities to protect people from harm.

People were supported in a safe way because assessments had been undertaken to identify risks. Care plans had been developed to provide staff with information on how to minimise these identified risks.

Equipment was in place to assist people safely and staff had a good understanding of people’s needs and abilities.

The number of staff on duty was sufficient to meet people’s physical and social needs. Most people confirmed they received their calls as agreed.

Discussions with staff and records seen demonstrated that staff were provided with training that was appropriate to meet people’s needs . People were supported by suitable staff because the necessary recruitment systems werein place.

Where people were supported with their meals staff understood the importance of providing appetising and well-presented meals that met people’s preferences.

People were supported to maintain good health and were able to access the services of other health professionals.

People told us the staff were kind and respectful towards them and confirmed they had been involved in the development of their care package.

People were able to raise any concerns as they had access to the agency’s complaints procedure. We saw that complaints were addressed appropriately.

Staff had a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities because there was a clear staffing structure in place.

Staff practice was monitored as systems were in place to supervise and manage the staff.

Arrangements were in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service but there was no system in place to ensure that missed calls were identified in a timely way.