Newport care company 'requires improvement' after CQC inspection

Brockton Care Limited, based in Newport, was inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in October and the findings published recently.

The domiciliary care agency was judged to ‘require improvement’ in four of the five assessed areas. These were whether the service is: safe, effective, responsive and well-led.

When the service was assessed on whether it was caring, inspectors found it to be ‘good’.

Brockton Care provides personal care to people living in their own homes and at the time of the inspection 164 people were using the service. The CQC only inspected the service where it was providing personal care.

Key areas for concern raised by the CQC were based around the administration of medicine and governance. Inspectors stated that the provider had failed to meet regulations in these areas.

A report stated: “Medicines management were unsafe and people were at risk of not receiving their medicines as prescribed. Not all staff had access to protocols for the use of ‘when required’ medicines to ensure medicines practices were safe.

“The provider’s governance was ineffective to ensure all staff had access to relevant training or to adapt the principles of the mental capacity act. Vital information relating to people’s prescribed medicines were not contained in their records, placing them at potential risk of harm.”

Inspectors found that people received ‘kind and compassionate care’ from the service and that staff protected and respected people’s privacy and dignity.

The CQC added that the agency’s staff ‘understood and responded’ to their service users' individual needs and understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse.

“Staff supported people to have the maximum possible choice, control and independence and they had control over their own lives,” added inspectors. “People’s involvement in their care assessment ensured they received a service that reflected their preferences.

“Staff knew and understood people well and were responsive, supporting their aspirations to live a quality life of their choosing.”

However, inspectors added that the principles of the mental capacity act ‘were not always observed to presume people had capacity unless indicated otherwise’.

The CQC added that although systems were in place to monitor calls, people at times ‘experienced late and missed calls’.

The inspection was prompted by a review of the information the inspection authority held about the service.

As a result of their findings the overall rating for the service has changed from ‘good’ to ‘requires improvement’.

Brockton Care Limited has been asked to provide a report to inspectors describing what actions it will take following regulation breaches relating to medicines management and the provider’s governance.

The CQC will then inspect whether that action has been taken by the service provider.

Brockton Care Limited has been approached for comment.