Effective KLOE explained

The key lines of enquiry (KLOE) are the tools that regulatory bodies such as the CQC use to assess adult social care services and to award a quality rating. One of the five main questions inspectors ask is, "Is your service effective?" But what does the CQC mean by "effective" and what does that imply for your service?

How does the CQC define "effective?"

"People’s care, treatment and support achieves good outcomes, promotes a good quality of life and is based on the best available evidence."

What does this mean for your service?

The CQC wants to know what the results of your service are and how effective you are at improving the lives of your service users. And let’s face it – it will also be great for team morale, if you can show your staff how you are making a difference. For these KLOEs, you’ll be expected to demonstrate:

• How you assess your clients’ physical, mental and social needs, and plan and deliver care based on these. It’s important that you can also show evidence to back up your decisions.
• That your staff have the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and support. Next to training and documentation of qualifications and skills, you need to make sure you’ve got a good mix of experience during each shift.
• How you’re supporting a healthy diet while respecting your service users’ wishes. The easiest way to do this is to show what food and drink you’ve been serving your clients.
• How you work together within your service, but also with other services e.g., healthcare teams, to deliver high-quality care.
• How you support your clients to take an active role in their care and live healthier lives. This could, for example, be by helping them monitor their own health or ensuring they understand their care/support plans.
• How you translate your clients’ needs into the design and decoration of their physical environment. This includes ensuring their environment is safe and that they have access to spaces appropriate for various aspects of living (e.g., being alone, having visitors, engaging in group activities).
• How you seek consent to care and treatment from your clients. Where possible, consent must be given at every stage of care planning and delivery.

How we support you with the effective KLOE

Our platform not only supports you in delivering effective care, but it also helps you evidence the care and services you provide. In the Care Office, you can easily access the complete audit trail for each individual client and the service as a whole. Moreover, our ‘Care Quality Indicators’ report highlights some key indicators, such as how many care plans have been signed, for the effective KLOE in one simple overview [Pro and Group Plans only].

Other features that will make preparing for that effective KLOE inspection a breeze include:

• Care and support plans
• Consent management
• Electronic logs
• Emergency admission packs
• Digital signatures

We've got a whole host of features that will help you provide outstanding care to your clients, including those tailored for care delivery, service efficiency and updating family and friends.

Useful CQC resources

• Key lines of enquiry for adult social care services
• KLOEs and ratings characteristics for adult social care services [PDF]
• Sources of evidence: what our inspectors look at against each KLOE [PDF]