A HOME care agency has been told it needs immediate improvement by inspectors after failing to meet nine of the 11 national standards that were tested.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is taking action to protect the safety and welfare of people receiving care from Aamina Homecare Limited in Immingham, which has about 130 patients in North East and North Lincolnshire.
In a report, CQC inspectors identify the findings from an unannounced inspection of the home care agency which took place in April as part of CQC's scheduled inspection programme for 2014/15.
Visiting inspectors reviewed a sample of care and treatment records and spoke with people using the service, their relatives, and members of staff.
Staff showed a genuine care for the people they were supporting and several people using the service spoke positively about the service they received.
However, inspectors identified the following concerns:
People using the service did not always receive care or support that was appropriate to their needs. Care plans did not always assess needs, and where they did they were not always followed.
Inspectors found evidence of occasions when safeguarding concerns had been raised but staff had failed to follow the correct policies and procedures to alert the relevant agencies.
Medication administration records contained gaps and discrepancies in recording so it was not always clear whether people were receiving their medicines as prescribed
A number of people using the service told inspectors that care staff visits were frequently delayed and on some occasions missed entirely.
A review of staff training records showed that 62 out of 75 members of staff had not undertaken appropriate training in the safe administration of medication. In addition, 11 staff members had not received formal training of any kind other than their induction.
The agency was failing to effectively monitor the quality of service being provided or to identify and manage risks to those receiving care.
Personal care records for people using the service contained inaccuracies and were not always up-to-date.
As a result of the inspection, CQC has issued four formal warnings to the agency requiring improvements in relation to care and welfare of people who use services, safeguarding of people who use services from abuse, supporting workers, and assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision.
The agency must also take action to address shortfalls against the additional five standards that are not being met.
Debbie Westhead, CQC's deputy chief inspector of adult social care in the North said: "The failings at Aamina Homecare Limited are just not acceptable. We have told the provider very clearly where improvements must be made."
A spokesman for Aamina Homecare said: "It is true that we had some failings in certain areas of record keeping.
"It is also true that with a high turnover of staff it was difficult to keep up with training demands.
"All records are now being monitored daily and all of our staff are trained to CQC standards."
He said the company had already identified areas for improvement and was in the process of an overhaul at the time of the inspection to meet necessary standards.
"This is now complete and we now have a customer service department."
He said the firm continued to attract positive feedback from staff, service users and their families.
The agency has since been re-inspected and the report is in the draft stages.
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