KEYFORT North East

Updated 23 May 2019

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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team: 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. The Expert-by-Experience made telephone calls to people to discuss their experiences about the support and service they received.

Service and service type: This service is a domiciliary care service. It provides personal and nursing care to people living in their own houses, flats and work place in the community. Not everyone using Keyfort North East receives a regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with personal care; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. For people the provider helps with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating, we also consider any wider social care provided.

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 24 hours' notice of the inspection visit because we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be in the office.

Inspection activity started on 15 March 2019 with a visit to the office location by the inspector. We made telephone calls to people, staff and relatives on 28 March 2019, 18 April 2019 and 9 May 2019.

What we did: Before the inspection the provider sent us a Provider Information Return. Providers are required to send us information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We reviewed information we held about the service and events which the provider is required to tell us about by law. We contacted commissioners to seek their feedback. We received no information of concern.

During the site visit we spoke with the registered manager and an administrative staff member. We reviewed a range of records. These included four people’s care records. We also looked at four staff files to check staff recruitment and their training records. We reviewed records relating to the management of the service. After the site visit we contacted seven people and two relatives of people who used the service and six support workers.

Updated 23 May 2019

About the service: Keyfort North East is a domiciliary care service. It provides personal and nursing care to people living in their own houses, flats or work place. It provides a service to children, younger and older adults including people who live with an acquired brain injury or intellectual impairment. The service provides both regular daily visits to people in their homes and some staff members, provide 24-hour support. At the time of inspection 23 people were using the service.

People’s experience of using this service: People told us they felt safe with the staff who supported them. Staffing capacity was sufficient and staff deployment was effective to ensure people's needs were met in a safe, timely and consistent way.

All people were complimentary about the care provided by support staff. They trusted the workers who supported them. They said staff were kind, caring and supportive of people and their families.

The service assisted people, where required, in meeting their health care and nutritional needs. Staff worked together, and with other professionals, in coordinating people's care.

Systems were in place for people to receive their medicines in a safe way. Risk assessments were in place and they accurately identified current risks to the person as well as ways for staff to minimise or appropriately manage those risks.

Records provided guidance to staff to ensure people received safe, person-centred, appropriate care and support. Information was accessible to involve people in decision making about their lives.

Communication was effective and staff and people were listened to. Staff said they felt well-supported and were aware of their responsibility to share any concerns about the care provided.

People were involved in decisions about their care. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Information was accessible to involve people in decision making about their lives.

There were opportunities for people, relatives and staff to give their views about the service. Processes were in place to manage and respond to complaints and concerns. The registered manager undertook a range of audits to check on the quality of care provided.

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

Rating at last inspection: The service was rated good (29 September 2016)

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating of the service at the last inspection.

Follow up: We did not identify any concerns at this inspection. We will therefore re-inspect this service within the published timeframe for services rated good. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.