Karuna Care London is being developed on the assumption that regulatory compliance is not optional or peripheral. It is central to safe practice, public trust and long‑term credibility. From the outset, we are designing a compliance framework that reflects the Care Quality Commission (CQC) fundamental standards and the adult social care requirements of the London Borough of Hillingdon, and that can stand up to sustained external scrutiny.
This framework will guide how we recruit and train staff, how we organise day‑to‑day care, and how we run the organisation behind the scenes.
Core areas of compliance
Our compliance work is focused on a number of key domains.
Staff recruitment, qualifications and training
We will recruit only those staff who meet the requirements for their role and who are suitable to work with adults who need care and support. This includes safer recruitment checks, appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, identity and reference verification and a values‑based interview process.
Once employed, staff will complete a structured induction and all mandatory training, including safeguarding adults, moving and handling, first aid, medicines, infection prevention and control, fire safety and basic life support. Training will be refreshed at appropriate intervals, and competence will be monitored through supervision and direct observation.
Resident safety and risk management
Safety will be embedded in day‑to‑day practice. This includes maintaining a well maintained, hazard free environment, completing individual risk assessments, and planning care in a way that balances safety with personal choice and autonomy. Incidents and near misses will be reported, recorded and reviewed so that patterns can be identified and lessons learned.
Medicines management
Where we support residents with medicines, we will work to clear policies that cover ordering, receipt, storage, administration, recording and disposal. Staff involved in medicines support will receive appropriate training and assessment of competence. Regular medicines audits will be carried out to check for errors, omissions or patterns of concern, and action will be taken promptly where issues are identified.
Record keeping and documentation
Accurate records are essential for safe care and regulatory compliance. We will maintain clear, contemporaneous records of assessments, care plans, daily notes, risk assessments, incidents, safeguarding concerns, medicines and communication with other professionals. Records will be stored securely and kept in line with data protection law and retention guidance.
Governance and oversight
Compliance is supported by a defined management and governance structure. Karuna Care London has and will have:
- A Board of Governors responsible for strategic direction and oversight of quality and risk
- A Registered Manager (subject to CQC approval) accountable for day‑to‑day standards and regulatory compliance
- Named leads for key areas such as safeguarding, infection prevention and control, health and safety, and medicines
These roles are designed so that there is always someone clearly responsible for monitoring compliance in each domain, and for ensuring that issues are escalated and addressed.
Regular management meetings will review quality indicators, incidents, complaints, training compliance and audit findings. Actions will be documented, followed through and revisited so that improvement work is not left unfinished.
Internal audits and continuous improvement
Compliance is not treated as a one‑off exercise, but as an ongoing cycle. We plan to use a schedule of internal audits and checks, for example:
- Monthly health and safety and environmental checks
- Regular medicines audits
- Quarterly care plan and documentation audits
- Periodic reviews of safeguarding, complaints and incident records
- Annual reviews of key policies and procedures
The results of these audits will be discussed in management and governance meetings, with clear action plans where needed. Learning from audits, incidents, feedback and external inspections will be used to refine policies, adjust practice and identify training needs.
External regulation and sector standards
Once operational, Karuna Care London will fully engage with external inspection and oversight processes. This includes:
- CQC registration, inspection and ongoing regulatory monitoring
- Any contract monitoring or quality review processes operated by Hillingdon Council’s adult social care team
- Cooperation with safeguarding enquiries, health partners and other statutory agencies where required
We intend to treat inspections and reviews as opportunities to test our systems, validate our standards and identify areas for further improvement, rather than as events to be endured.
Our compliance framework will also be informed by sector guidance and best practice, including material from organisations such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and Skills for Care, so that our policies and procedures remain current as the sector evolves.
Regulatory status
Karuna Care London is currently progressing through registration with the Care Quality Commission and is not yet open to residents. The regulatory compliance framework described on this page forms part of our planned governance arrangements and will be fully implemented once CQC registration and all necessary approvals have been granted.