Care MK Ltd

Updated 24 August 2022

The inspection

We carried out this performance review and assessment under Section 46 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act). We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements of the regulations associated with the Act and looked at the quality of the service to provide a rating.

Unlike our standard approach to assessing performance, we did not physically visit the office of the location. This is a new approach we have introduced to reviewing and assessing performance of some care at home providers. Instead of visiting the office location we used technology such as electronic file sharing and video or phone calls to engage with people using the service and staff.

Inspection team

The 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.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

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

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we completed this inspection using technology such as electronic file sharing and needed to give the provider time to send us the required information.

The inspection activity started on 08 August 2022 and ended on 11 August 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since their first registration. This included any notifications (events which happened in the service that the provider is required to tell us about).

The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

This performance review and assessment was carried out without a visit to the location’s office. We used technology such as telephone calls and video calls to enable us to engage with people using the service and staff, and electronic file sharing to enable us to review documentation.

We spoke with the registered manager by telephone on 08 August 2022 who was also the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We had discussions with two staff and the relative of the person using the service on 10 August 2022. We reviewed a range of records. This included the care records for the person using the service, three 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.

Updated 24 August 2022

About the service

Care MK is a domiciliary care agency and provides personal care to people living in their own homes.

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. At the time of our inspection there was one person who had been using the service on a long-term basis and was receiving personal care.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People’s needs, and choices were assessed before they received a care package. The care plan we looked at lacked person-centred details and focused more on the person’s clinical needs rather than their individual, personal needs and wishes. However, this had not impacted on the person-centred care they received.

There were systems and processes in place to safeguard people from potential harm. Staff completed training about safeguarding and knew how to report abuse. Risks to people were assessed and measures were put in place to reduce them.

There were safe infection control procedures in place including enough supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff. People received their medicines safely and as prescribed.

There were enough staff to meet the needs of people using the service and recruitment was ongoing, with all necessary recruitment checks carried out. Staff received an induction and ongoing training that enabled them to have the skills and knowledge to provide effective care.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Where the provider took on the responsibility, people were supported with their medicines and to eat and drink enough to meet their dietary needs. There were systems in place and staff had been trained in the safe administration of medicines if they needed to support people with their medication.

People were supported to live healthier lives and staff helped them to access healthcare services when required. We saw the service worked closely with healthcare professionals to ensure good outcomes for people.

People and their relatives told us they were treated with kindness and compassion; their privacy was respected, and their independence was promoted.

People knew how to make a complaint or raise a concern. Quality assurance systems identified any areas that needed further development. Staff told us they enjoyed working for the service and they felt well supported.

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

This service was registered with us on 17 November 2020 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection following registration.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

This was an inspection using remote technology. This means we did not visit the office location and instead used technology such as electronic file sharing to gather information, and video and phone calls to engage with people using the service as part of this performance review and assessment.