Shropshire healthcare provider ‘requires improvement’ after 'shortfalls' at inspection
A care firm has been told it ‘requires improvement’ after receiving an inspection from the Care Quality Commission.
Everready Health and Social Care Solutions, based in Hadley, provides personal care within people’s own houses and flats.
At the time of the inspection 15 people were using the newly registered service, not all of them received personal care.
Inspectors found that the healthcare provider ‘requires improvement’ in four of the five assessed areas which looked at whether the service was safe, effective, responsive and well-led.
The company was assessed to be ‘good’ in the other area which looked at whether the service was caring.
Inspectors criticised the provider for having a ‘lack of evidence’ that medicines competency assessments had been carried out.
“The provider’s governance was ineffective to identify the shortfalls found during this inspection,” the CQC inspection found.
“People could not be assured staff would have the appropriate skills to support them with their prescribed medicines.”
The inspection also found that ‘relevant official documents’ were not accessible and there was no ‘emphasis focused’ on equality and diversity.
“We found where a person was receiving end of life care, staff did not have access to an end-of-life care plan, to ensure the person’s wishes would be met,” commented the inspection report.
“We have recommended that this should be put in place. People could not be confident their communication needs would be met due to the lack of understanding of the Accessible Information Standards. Needs assessments were not always carried out prior to people receiving a service.”
The inspection report praised the provider and said that clients received ‘kind and compassionate care’.
“Staff protected and respected people’s privacy and dignity,” added the report. “They understood and responded to their individual needs.
“Staff knew and understood people well and were responsive, supporting their aspirations to live a quality life of their choosing.”
Staff were also praised for supporting clients to have the ‘maximum choice and control’ in their lives.
“Staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service support this practice,” the inspection report added. “Staff focused on people’s strengths and promoted what they could do, so people had a fulfilling and meaningful everyday life.
“Risk assessments were in place to promote people’s independence whilst ensuring their safety. Staff were skilled and knowledgeable in reducing the risk of people contracting avoidable infections.
“People were protected from potential abuse because staff knew how to recognise abuse and how to safeguard them.”
The CQC has requested an action plan from Everready Health and Social Care Solutions to address how they plan to ‘improve the standards of quality and safety’.
The inspection body states that they will work with the provider and Telford & Wrekin Council to monitor progress.
