Policies and Procedures
High quality care does not happen by accident. It depends on clear standards, consistent practice and a shared understanding of what “good” looks like in everyday work. At Karuna Care London, this is supported by a comprehensive set of written policies and procedures that guide how we operate, how we make decisions and how we are held to account.
Our policy framework has been designed to reflect current law, Care Quality Commission (CQC) requirements and local authority expectations. Each policy is a working document, not a formality. Together they form the backbone of our governance arrangements and are used to direct day to day practice, supervision, training and quality audits.
What our policies cover
Rather than relying on a few generic documents, we have developed a structured suite of policies that cover all key aspects of the service. These fall broadly into the following areas.
1. Care, support and safeguarding
These policies set out how we work with residents and how we protect their rights. They include guidance on:
- Person centred assessment, care planning and review
- Respecting dignity, privacy and choice
- Mental Capacity Act and consent to care and treatment
- Safeguarding adults, recognising and responding to abuse or neglect
- Positive risk taking, managing challenging behaviour and restrictive practices
- Medicines management, including ordering, storage, administration and recording
- Infection prevention and control, hygiene and outbreak management
- Nutrition, hydration and support at mealtimes
- End of life care, including communication with families and professionals
- Complaints, concerns, compliments and how they are handled
These documents describe not only what we must do, but also the standards of behaviour and attitude that residents and families are entitled to expect.
2. Staffing, recruitment and conduct
Safe care depends on safe staff. Our workforce policies cover:
- Safer recruitment, identity and reference checks and use of DBS checks
- Induction, mandatory training, refresher training and specialist development
- Supervision, appraisal and performance management
- Professional boundaries and codes of conduct
- Equality, diversity and inclusion for staff and residents
- Whistleblowing and protection for people who raise concerns
- Absence management, sickness reporting and return to work
- Disciplinary and grievance procedures where standards are not met
These policies are used throughout the employment journey, from shortlisting and interview through to day-to-day management of the staff team.
3. Health, safety and risk
Residents and staff have the right to live and work in a safe environment. To support this, we maintain policies on:
- General health and safety and risk assessment
- Fire safety, evacuation and emergency procedures
- First aid, accident reporting and incident investigation
- Security of the building, access control and lone working
- Safe use, maintenance and servicing of equipment
- Environmental safety, including cleanliness, waste disposal and hazardous substances
- Business continuity and emergency planning for events such as utility failures or building incidents
These policies are backed up by regular checks, drills, servicing schedules and audits so that safety is not left to chance.
4. Information and governance
Good governance also depends on how information is recorded, stored and shared. Our information policies include:
- Data protection and confidentiality, in line with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act
- Record keeping standards for care notes, risk assessments and daily documentation
- Retention and secure disposal of records
- Use of electronic systems and passwords
- Sharing information appropriately with other professionals and agencies
These documents help to ensure that residents’ information is treated lawfully and respectfully, and that records are complete, accurate and useful.
How policies are used in practice
Policies and procedures are only effective if staff know them and use them. At Karuna Care London:
- New staff are introduced to key policies during induction and are shown how to access the full policy library.
- Training is linked directly to policy content, so that staff understand how the written standards apply to real situations.
- Supervisors refer to relevant policies during one to one supervision, team meetings and reflective discussions.
- Internal audits and quality checks use policy requirements as their benchmark.
- When something goes wrong or nearly goes wrong, we review whether any policy needs to be clarified or strengthened.
This approach means that policies remain live documents which influence practice rather than sitting untouched on a shelf.
Access and review
A complete set of policies and procedures will be kept on site in printed and digital form. Staff will have full access to them. Residents, families, advocates, commissioners and regulators are welcome to request copies of specific policies or summaries, and we will always explain in plain language how a policy operates in practice.
Policies are reviewed at least annually. They are also updated sooner if there are changes in legislation, national guidance, CQC requirements or learning from incidents and feedback. When a policy changes, staff are informed and further training is provided where necessary, so that written standards and day to day practice stay aligned.
Regulatory status
Karuna Care London is currently progressing through registration with the Care Quality Commission and is not yet open to residents. The policies and procedures described on this page form part of our intended governance framework and will be fully implemented once CQC registration and all required approvals have been granted.