Thames Homecare Services Greenwich Branch

“The provider was in breach of legal regulations relating to safe care and treatment and good governance. We identified concerns with recruitment records, the scheduling of care calls, staff timekeeping, the management of identified risks to people, and the accuracy and completeness of medicine records. The provider’s governance systems had failed to identify and address these concerns effectively, increasing the risk that people would receive unsafe and inappropriate care and support from staff. In addition, the process of learning from incidents was inconsistent so we could not be assured the provider was effectively embedding good practice across the service. We also found processes to gather consent were not consistently applied and person centred information in care plans was not sufficient to ensure people’s independence, choice and control would be promoted.”

“Notwithstanding the issues we found we also found areas of good practice. Assessments were carried out to ensure people's needs could be met. Staff felt supported and received regular training and supervision. Staff supported people to maintain their health and wellbeing and achieve their care goals. Staff asked people’s permission before delivering care and understood the importance of promoting choices.”

“The service worked in partnership with healthcare professionals. People had access to a range of healthcare services when needed. Managers were approachable and responsive to feedback from people and staff. Staff felt supported and able to raise concerns to senior staff.”

“We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.”