- Homecare service
Kindred Community Ltd
Report from 13 January 2025 assessment
Contents
On this page
- Overview
- Assessing needs
- Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
- How staff, teams and services work together
- Supporting people to live healthier lives
- Monitoring and improving outcomes
- Consent to care and treatment
Effective
Effective – this means we looked for evidence that people’s care, treatment and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence.
This is the first assessment for this service. This key question has been rated good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this. People’s care and treatment was effective due to their health, care, well-being, and communication needs being assessed with them. People’s care plans were kept up to date, with any assessments completed in a timely manner. Staff were aware of people’s preferences and respected these in a person-centred way. People were aware of their rights around care and treatment. Staff showed a good knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA), including consent.
This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.
Assessing needs
The provider made sure people’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them.
People and relatives told us that they were involved with planning their care. One person’s representative told us, “There was a lot of involvement from all of us before the care started.”
Feedback from staff and leaders confirmed people’s needs were assessed and reviewed regularly. Staff told us they were involved in reviewing people's care and that the person was fully involved too. The registered manager told us, “We get a referral, and say yes or no based on location, capacity and staff skills set. We then have a Teams call or face to face meet to carry out a needs assessment.”
Processes were in place to ensure staff understood and managed people’s needs. Peoples’ care records showed their individual needs had been assessed, in line with their choices and wishes. Assessments were regularly reviewed and kept up to date. Care records contained detailed guidance for staff to follow and contained information on how best to communicate with the person in a way they understood. People's records showed their needs had been assessed with a person-centred approach, and outcomes were monitored for their effectiveness, using a variety of tools.
Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
The provider planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them. They did this in line with legislation and current evidence-based good practice and standards.
We could not get direct feedback from people in relation to delivering evidence-based care and treatment. However, we received feedback from staff and managers which demonstrated that people were supported in line with their needs, including their nutrition and hydration needs. The registered manager told us, “We have worked for many years with clients and professionals to make sure they get the best treatment and support they need. This is an ongoing process.” Staff told us people's care plans were kept up to date to include their current needs, how these were to be met and desired outcomes. Staff told us they assisted people to access the support they needed from other professionals and services. Processes were in place which showed people’s needs had been identified, and continued to be reviewed and amended. Where people had specific nutritional requirements, for example, soft food, or using percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG), this was detailed in their care plan.
How staff, teams and services work together
The provider worked well across teams and services to support people. They made sure people only needed to tell their story once by sharing their assessment of needs when people moved between different services.
People told us they received consistent care and support from staff who knew them well. People and their representatives told us staff helped them with appointments and explained things to them which helped them better understand their support. One person told us, “I have my regular two [members of staff] I like them.”
Feedback from staff and leaders confirmed they were involved in people’s care planning and support. The registered manager told us how information was shared amongst the relevant professionals, to help maintain good continuity of care. Staff completed daily records for each person detailing their progress and significant or important events.
Feedback from external professionals confirmed staff worked well with other services to help ensure good continuity of care. One external professional told us, “I have found them professional and responsive to work with, and my experience is that they prioritise the safety and care needs of their clients.”
Processes were in place to ensure people were referred to healthcare professionals when needed. Staff helped people develop relationships with professionals to ensure best advice was sought and to help ensure people were supported to make decisions to further enhance their choice and control over their care. The provider worked effectively with other agencies to ensure transitions of care were co-ordinated and as seamless as possible.
Supporting people to live healthier lives
The provider supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to maximise their independence, choice and control. Staff supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support.
The registered manager explained how staff supported people to make healthier choices, “We assist people to access private dieticians, nutritionists and personal trainers. We support people to follow diet and exercise plans.” Staff understood their role in supporting people’s health and well-being. They supported people with physical, emotional and mental wellbeing rehabilitation and recovery.
Processes were in place to enable people to make informed decisions around their own well-being needs. People were supported to make better and healthier lifestyle choices, for example, healthy eating and rehabilitation work. We saw examples of people regularly participating in exercise and physiotherapy. An external professional told us, “I work with several clients that have been referred directly from Kindred and their approach is always client focussed and holistic.”
Monitoring and improving outcomes
The provider routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves.
People experienced positive outcomes and had planned goals for the future.
Feedback from staff and leaders confirmed people’s care and progress were monitored. Staff were knowledgeable and supportive of people's goals and wishes. The registered manager told us, “A really good case manager can work in completely different ways. For example, for one person, their goal is to walk their dog and go out for a coffee. For others it is to support them to skateboard, volunteer in a hospital or gain a college qualification. We support people to do all of these.” A member of staff added, “Kindred goes beyond case management, it’s about building futures, restoring independence, and creating opportunities for every client to thrive.”
Processes were in place to ensure people’s outcomes were monitored, and any changes were implemented. For example, how people were responding to rehabilitation programmes. This was evidenced in people’s care plan reviews. Care plans were audited to ensure regular reviews took place and any actions were followed up.
Consent to care and treatment
The provider told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment.
People understood their rights to make decisions and said they were asked for their consent to any care and support before it was provided. People told us they were never asked to do anything they didn’t agree to.
Feedback from staff and leaders confirmed they provided care in line with the Mental Capacity Act (MCA), and how information was provided to people in a way they understood. Staff confirmed they had completed MCA training. They understood decisions could only be made on behalf of the person in line with the MCA. Staff told us they always asked for consent from people before providing any care and support. Staff knew to escalate any concerns about people's capacity to make choice and decisions, for example if they felt a person had made an unwise or unsafe decision or refused essential care.
Processes were in place to ensure people’s choices, consent and rights around their care and support were respected. People’s choices were at the heart of their care and support plans. Capacity assessments were in place in people’s care records. People’s capacity to consent was regularly assessed to ensure they understood any decisions around the care and support needs.