Northampton care agency rated 'inadequate' by watchdog and warned it is at risk of closure

A care agency operating in Northamptonshire has been warned it must improve or risk being shut down.

Northampton-based FDR Social Care was rated ‘inadequate’ after inspectors found “very poor” managerial oversight, faulty record keeping and poor care being delivered.

A Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspector found a member of staff had worked for the agency for weeks without a clear Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which “placed people at risk of receiving care from staff who may not [have been] of suitable character”.

They found other staff had discussed other clients’ care with clients, which meant their privacy was not respected. Clients’ relatives told the CQC that staff were “not always vigilant in closing curtains before providing personal care” to people and needed to be prompted to act appropriately.

The agency, which was set up in February 2022, did not maintain a log of complaints or actions they had taken after receiving them. But relatives said the agency, which was looking after two people at the time, responded to complaints quickly and satisfactorily.

The regulator said the agency, based in Kingsthorpe Road, failed to keep accurate records of people’s daily care, rotas, staff employment information, induction information and supervision and training records. It had not been registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office, which the CQC said placed clients at a risk of having their private information breached.

There was “no evidence of the service working in partnership with other professionals and agencies” and the CQC’s report said the agency unsettled clients with “poor staff deployment, inconsiderate communication and inadequate staff training”.

The regulator found six breaches of regulations and said it will reinspect the agency within six months following its visit in March. If it has not improved sufficiently, the CQC said it will “take action”, which could involve cancelling the agency’s registration.

The agency has been contacted for comment.