Home care provider rated inadequate by CQC

A home care agency has been rated inadequate and placed in special measures after inspectors found "confusing information" in care plans.

Chenai Holistic Home Care Agency, based in South Woodham Ferrers in Essex, provides personal care to 110 clients in their own homes, such as helping with personal hygiene and eating.

Inspectors visited in February and found six breaches in legal regulations, said the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Manager Melicia Facey said the company had "taken immediate action through a formal improvement plan addressing all concerns raised".

"Since the inspection, we have implemented significant changes including improved call monitoring, updated care plans, enhanced staff training, and stricter governance procedures," she added.

The legal regulation breaches were in relation to safe care and treatment, safeguarding, person-centred care, dignity and respect, staffing and governance, said the CQC.

Inspectors found risk assessments in place, but information in the care plans "were not always reflective of people's needs and contained confusing information".

They also found three incidents which the care provider should have reported to "the appropriate safeguarding authorities or where necessary, [the] CQC".

The inspectorate criticised the care agency's governance system:

• as "not effective in identifying or addressing areas for improvement"
• said there were not always enough suitably skilled staff to support people
• said there was "mixed feedback" from people and relatives

The CQC received "numerous concerns about how the service was managed" and concerns were raised about timings and duration of calls.

However, feedback included one person keen to praise their carers, saying they were "so helpful, they will do anything I want", the report added.

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