Caring 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 caring?" As a care service provider, being caring should be a no-brainer – after all it’s already in the name. But what does the CQC mean by "caring" and what does that imply for your service?

How does the CQC define "caring?"

"The service involves and treats people with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect."

What does this mean for your service?

As a care provider you strive to deliver high-quality care to your service users. For these KLOEs, inspectors want to see that mindset translate into a culture of caring with a considerable focus on being respectful and kind to clients and staff. You’ll need to indicate:

• How you continuously show kindness, respect and compassion, and offer emotional support where needed. A big part of this is knowing your individual clients and their personalities, cultural beliefs, personal histories and interests, and conveying a sense of being heard to service users and their loved ones. Another central demand for this KLOE is to follow the requirements laid out in the Equality Act 2020, by making your service accessible to all (independent of age, sex, disability, etc.).
• How you encourage both staff and clients to express their views and get clients actively involved in their care, support and treatment. This is the time to show off that culture of open communication where your invite and follow up on feedback. Resolving tensions and conflicts as well as managing expectations is another great way of demonstrating this KLOE.
• How you safeguard your service users’ privacy and dignity. Your staff should be well-trained in key principles, such as respect, kindness and compassion, and uphold service users’ confidentiality. You should empower your clients to be as independent as they want to be and ensure they have choice and flexibility about their privacy. Also, make sure that you have systems and processes in place to quickly address any signs of discomfort, emotional distress or pain from your clients.

How we support you with the caring KLOE

Our platform not only supports you in delivering 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 clients with their ‘About me’ section completed, for the caring KLOE in one simple overview [Pro and Group Plans only].

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

• Client management
• Consent management
• Care and support plans
• Team management

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]