Care service in Northampton with missing DBS checks rated inadequate and placed in special measures by watchdog
An at-home care service in Northampton has been rated inadequate and placed in special measures, after an inspection that raised concerns with medication administration, lapses in training, missing Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and more.
Because We Care, based in Brookfield Road, Kingsthorpe, was inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) between June 10 and June 13 this year.
The service provides support for people in their own homes, and at the time of the inspection seven people were receiving personal care from the agency.
During the inspection, CQC inspectors identified five breaches of regulation related to safe care and treatment, safeguarding, staff recruitment, medicines management and consent. At the previous inspection in 2019, the CQC identified two breaches of regulation related to staffing and good management, which remain in place.
The care provider said it is “deeply disappointed” and believes the rating and report does not reflect the “positive feedback” received from service users and relatives.
However, inspectors found issues such as one person being given paracetamol before the four-hour interval, not completing falls risk assessments for people known to be at risk of falling and missing DBS checks on staff. Although people and their relatives did say that staff were “kind, attentive, caring and respectful” and one person even said they were “blessed” to have the carers.
Cat Eglinton, CQC deputy director of operations, said: “It was disappointing to see the quality of care provided by Because We Care Northampton had declined since our previous inspection. A lack of oversight from senior leaders was behind most of the problems we saw, meaning they were unable to identify problems and improve the safety and effectiveness of care.
“People and their relatives told us staff were kind and attentive. The staff team was small which meant they were able to provide consistent care to people they were with familiar with, which was appreciated. However, we found that care didn’t meet expected standards of safety.
“Leaders didn’t complete assessments for or mitigate risks to people’s health. For example, they hadn’t completed falls risk assessments for people known to be at risk of falling. This failure to identify and plan for risks meant people faced avoidable harm.
“We weren’t assured staff administered people’s medication safely. They gave one person paracetamol before the required four-hour interval, and poor record keeping meant this could be happening with other medicines putting people at risk of overdose.
“We were very concerned that leaders hadn’t carried out all the relevant checks when recruiting staff. We found missing information in staff records, including Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, interview records and references. This meant leaders couldn’t be sure that staff were safe to work with vulnerable people.
“Leaders hadn’t made sure staff completed the relevant training required for their responsibilities. We also found that leaders hadn’t completed the necessary training to carry out their own roles.
“We have told leaders at Because We Care Northampton where urgent improvements are needed. We will closely monitor the service while this happens to make sure people are safe.”
CQC downgraded the ratings for how safe and well-led the service is from requires improvement to inadequate. The service has been rated requires improvement in the ‘effective’ ‘caring’ and ‘responsive’ categories. Overall, the service has been rated inadequate and has been placed in special measures.
In a statement, Because We Care has said a plan of action has been put in place for “continuous improvement”. A external company has also been commissioned to review the provider’s policies and procedures.
The statement said: “The management team and all our staff at Because We Care Northampton are obviously deeply disappointed by the CQC report. We have a dedicated team committed to delivering the best possible care and the rating given does not, we believe, reflect the positive feedback we receive from our service users and their families.
“We are pleased to note that the CQC report itself points out that relatives said they were happy with the care provided. It noted that people and their relatives shared positive views about the care they received, describing staff as kind, caring, and respectful.
“That said, we have fully taken on board the comments made by CQC in their report. The management team, with the support of all our dedicated staff, has put in place a plan of action for continuous improvement which we are determined will take the service out of special measures and secure a ‘good’ rating again at the next inspection.
“In addition, we recently commissioned external experts, Fulcrum, to provide a detailed review of our policies and procedures.
“We continue to be committed to providing the very best care and would be happy to talk to any of our service users, family members or carers who have any concerns about any public comment made in respect of this report.”
The CQC confirmed the provider will be kept under close review, while in special measures.