'Inadequate' care agency placed in special measures

A home care agency where some staff did not have basic first aid training has been placed in special measure after inspectors deemed it inadequate.

Following an inspection carried out across the turn of this year, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said it had "serious concerns" regarding the care offered by FiNN Homecare, which is based in Wantage, Oxfordshire.

Among the issues raised by inspectors was a lack of training, support and information for staff that was "needed to deliver safe, person-centred care".

Responding to the report, FiNN Homecare said it took the CQC findings "extremely seriously" and "acted immediately" to address the concerns.

The care agency provides personal care to about 30 people in their own homes, and was previously rated as good by the CQC.

During its inspection, the CQC said it found six breaches of regulation, including serious safety and leadership shortcomings.

Amy Jupp, the body's deputy director for adult social care in the South East, said inspectors found some members of staff had not received basic training, including in first aid.

"It was concerning that staff we spoke to couldn't explain what they would do to support people with specific needs, meaning people weren't always receiving the care they required," she explained.

She said carers were "reliant on care plans that the service wasn't keeping up-to-date and that lacked guidance" on how to support patients.

In one example, inspectors found carers were not made aware of a patient's increased risk of choking, meaning they were sometimes left to eat on their own.

Jupp said the firm had sought advice from an external agency that had warned it that "significant improvements were needed".

"It was disappointing to see that leaders hadn't acted on this feedback and both these areas remained inadequate," she said.

The CQC has now placed the care agency in special measures, meaning it will be closely monitored to ensure improvements are made.

FiNN Homecare said that it "fully recognises that improvements are required".

As part of this, it said a nationally recognised care consultancy firm had been brought on board to "support us in delivering a robust and sustainable improvement plan".

"We are committed to making these improvements at pace and to ensure they result in meaningful and lasting change," the firm said.

"The safety, dignity, and wellbeing of our clients remain our absolute priority, and we will continue to keep our clients, their families, and our staff informed as we progress."

The firm added that it had "already implemented all necessary training" requested by the CQC report.

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