4 May 2012
1st Hand Care Limited- West Midlands is not meeting the essential standards.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is taking action to protect the safety and welfare of people using 1st Hand Care Limited- West Midlands.
Inspectors have told the care agency in Lichfield Street, Bilston, which provides support and personal care to people in their own homes that improvements must be made to comply with the essential standards of quality and safety.
The unannounced inspection carried out on 13 Marchtook place to check if improvements had been made since a previous inspection.
The provider, 1st Hand Care Limited, was found to be failing to meet all four of the essential standards of care and safety inspectors looked at.
What inspectors found:
Care and welfare of people who use services
Relatives of those using the agency complained to inspectors about people not receiving calls from agency workers as agreed within their care packages. This placed them at substantial risk as the purpose of these calls is to ensure they safely undertake daily tasks within their own homes. Also, care plans were not updated to reflect the changing needs of people using the service.
Management of medicines
Confirmation that medication had been administered was not always recorded. This meant it was unclear whether people using the service had received their medication or not. Most staff members had received no observation of practice by a senior to ensure they were competent at administering medication.
Assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision
The service did not have an established system in place to assess and monitor the quality of service provision. Relatives of people using the service told inspectors they had raised various concerns with the agency but these had not been addressed or acknowledged.
Inspectors also identified a moderate concern relating to safeguarding people who use services from abuse.
Andrea Gordon, Deputy Director of Operations (Central Region) for CQC, said:
“The failings at 1st Hand Care Limited- West Midlands are a real concern. CQC has been working to ensure the safety and wellbeing of people receiving this service and we have told the provider where they need to improve.
“We will continue to monitor this service. If we had immediate concerns about people’s safety, we would take action straight away on behalf of residents.”
Any regulatory decision that CQC takes is open to challenge by a registered person through a variety of internal and external appeal processes.
Ends
For further information please contact Helen Gildersleeve, regional communications officer, on 0191 233 3379. The CQC press office is also available on 0207 448 9401 or out of hours on 07917 232 143.
Notes to editors
Find out more
Read the reports from our checks on standards at 1st Hand Care Limited.