Commitment to Quality Care
Karuna Care London is being developed on the assumption that good intentions are not enough. Quality has to be designed, measured and reviewed, not simply hoped for. Our commitment is to build a service in which safety, reliability and compassion are supported by clear systems, skilled staff and open scrutiny from the outset.
We see quality as a continuous discipline rather than an occasional exercise. As the service moves towards opening, we are putting in place a quality assurance framework that will sit behind everyday practice and will be reviewed regularly by the management team and the Board.
Quality framework and governance
Our approach to quality is structured and deliberate. The core elements include:
- A clear governance structure, with defined responsibilities from the Board of Governors through to the proposed Registered Manager and front‑line staff
- Written policies and procedures aligned with current legislation and Care Quality Commission (CQC) expectations
- Regular internal audits covering areas such as care planning, medicines management, record keeping, health and safety, infection prevention and staff training
- Scheduled reviews of incidents, near misses, complaints and compliments, so that learning is captured and leads to tangible changes in practice
- Routine reporting to the Board on key quality indicators, including safeguarding activity, feedback themes and outcomes of audits
These components are being built now so that, once residents move in, quality is monitored as a matter of routine rather than in response to problems.
Staff competence, supervision and culture
High quality care depends on the people providing it. Karuna Care London’s quality commitment therefore includes a strong focus on staff competence and culture. Recruitment will follow safer‑recruitment standards, with identity checks, references, appropriate criminal records checks and structured interviews that explore values, not just technical skills.
Every staff member will receive a thorough induction to the service, including training on safeguarding, person‑centred care, mental capacity, health and safety, confidentiality and infection prevention. Mandatory and role‑specific training will be refreshed at appropriate intervals, and competence will be assessed rather than assumed.
Supervision and appraisal will be used to maintain standards and support development. Staff will have regular one‑to‑one supervision with a senior colleague, providing confidential space to reflect on practice, raise concerns and review performance. Annual appraisals will identify strengths and training needs, and link individual objectives to the wider aims of the service. The intention is to nurture a culture in which staff feel responsible for quality, understand expectations and are supported to meet them.
Care planning, review and personal outcomes
Quality care is not abstract; it is visible in how well each person’s needs are understood and met. Before admission, each prospective resident will have a thorough assessment of needs and risks. On moving in, they will work with staff, and where appropriate their family or representatives, to develop a detailed, person‑centred care and support plan.
These plans will set out:
- The person’s history, preferences, routines and priorities
- Identified needs in areas such as personal care, mobility, health, communication and emotional wellbeing
- Risks and agreed strategies for managing them
- Personal goals and outcomes that matter to the individual
Care plans will be kept under active review. Formal reviews will take place at agreed intervals, and whenever there is a significant change in health, circumstances or preference. Staff are expected to use care plans in day‑to‑day work and to update them promptly, so they remain accurate guides to how each person wishes to be supported.
Listening, feedback and complaints
Quality cannot be maintained without listening carefully to the people who use the service and to those who know them well. Karuna Care London will therefore use a range of feedback methods, including:
- Informal day‑to‑day conversations with residents and families
- Regular residents’ meetings and, where appropriate, relatives’ or representatives’ meetings
- Structured satisfaction surveys and short questionnaires on specific topics
- A clear, accessible complaints procedure, with responses that are timely, fair and transparent
Complaints and concerns will be treated as valuable sources of information rather than as nuisances. Each complaint will be recorded, investigated, responded to and reviewed to identify any wider learning or required changes. Compliments and positive feedback will also be logged and shared with staff, reinforcing good practice.
Incidents, risk and continuous improvement
No care environment can eliminate risk, but it can manage it intelligently. Karuna Care London is establishing systems for reporting and reviewing accidents, incidents and safeguarding concerns. Staff will be trained to report promptly and honestly when something goes wrong or nearly goes wrong.
Incidents will be analysed to understand what happened, why it happened and what can be done to reduce the chance of recurrence. Actions may include changes to individual care plans, updates to risk assessments, additional training, changes to procedures or environmental adjustments. Where required, incidents will be notified to external bodies in line with statutory reporting requirements.
Quality improvement will be an ongoing cycle: plan, do, review, refine. Audit findings, incident reviews, feedback and supervision themes will be brought together to identify priorities for improvement. Progress against these priorities will be monitored and reported to the Board, so that quality is continuously checked at both operational and governance levels.