Shrewsbury care firm told it has to improve in report

Affinity Homecare Shrewsbury was found to be below standard in all areas when inspectors visited in August.

In their report, which was published this week, the inspectors said management plans were not put in place, risks associated with people needs were not always accurately assessed and that some of those cared for by the service did not feel safe.

One person said that when a carer came to take them to hospital the staff member "spent most of the time on the mobile telephone".

• READ the CQC report here

Although staff said they had kept people safe by reading their care plans and risk assessments, inspectors found that a number of risks had not been documented.

Inspectors said that work also needed to be done to make the service effective. People had different views on staff's skills and knowledge and and said they had difficulty understanding some members of staff for whom English was not their first language. They also found that training was not provided or information on people's specific health needs and how to support them effectively.

The service was also found to be below par for being caring. People's choice was not always respected and one person said they had requested that they did not have a male carer but had been told by a manager of Affinity Homecare Shrewsbury, "You can't ban them".

However, people did describe positive working relationships with staff and said they were involved in decision about their care. They added that they found staff on the whole to be polite, respectful and mindful of their dignity.

Inspectors also said the responsiveness of the business needed attention as "people's needs and preferences were not always recorded and considered". Care plans were found to be limited in detail and some people had complex care needs which was not always reflected in their care plans. However, inspectors were told that when complaints were received they were dealt with quickly and in the correct manner.

People had mixed views about how well the service was run. One person said they believed the company was one which went from "disaster to disaster" while another said they had been considering moving until they had a chat with the new manager who was "planning to make significant changes". But other people said they were happy with the service. However, inspectors found that it was not well-led and made a number of recommendations.

A spokeswoman for the business said: "Since the CQC inspection a completely new and experienced management team has been employed to ensure improvements and effective systems are now in place to monitor the quality of the service."