This focused KLOE inspection of CCS Homecare Services Limited (April 2021) rated the service overall Good, with Safe deteriorating to Requires Improvement driven by unsafe medicines recording for time-sensitive drugs (prompting a safeguarding alert), non-person-centred risk assessments, and poor visit punctuality across a significant proportion of care workers. Well-led remained Good, underpinned by responsive leadership, robust governance structures, and effective multi-agency partnership working.
Concerns (6)
criticalMedication management: “The sample of extra care records we reviewed did not evidence the safe administration of these medicines. These people's support plans and medicine administration records (MAR) lacked detailed instructions”
moderateCare planning: “Some people's risk assessments lacked personalised detail, particularly for people using extra care housing or receiving care in their own homes.”
moderateRecord keeping: “One person's care plan described them as having a catheter; this was not the case. Another person's support plan described them as using a walker however...they used a wheelchair.”
moderateMissed or late visits: “10 care workers had a visit punctuality of less than 50% and three care workers had a punctuality of less than 30%.”
moderateGovernance: “Audits identified individual records which required more person-centred detail...but did not fully identify the wider concerns we found.”
minorPerson-centred care: “Some care plans referred to people by the acronym 'SU' meaning service user, which was not respectful or empowering language.”
Strengths
· Strong partnership working with local authorities and health professionals, with professionals describing transitions and joint working as smooth and responsive.
· Robust safeguarding oversight: all concerns tracked until local authority closure, with collaborative participation in safeguarding enquiry processes.
· Immediate responsiveness to CQC feedback throughout the inspection, including updating care plans, medicines records, policies and staff training materials.
· Effective infection control during COVID-19, including PPE supply monitoring, staff vaccination encouragement and detailed business continuity planning.
· Multi-layered learning culture with daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly meetings to identify trends, with active medicines and falls awareness campaigns underway.
Quality-Statement breakdown (12)
safe: Assessing risk, safety monitoring and managementRequires improvement
safe: Using medicines safelyRequires improvement
safe: Staffing and recruitmentNot rated
safe: Preventing and controlling infectionNot rated
safe: Systems and processes to safeguard people from the risk of abuseNot rated
safe: Learning lessons when things go wrongNot rated
well-led: Duty of candourNot rated
well-led: Promoting a positive culture that is person-centred, open, inclusive and empoweringNot rated
well-led: Managers and staff being clear about their roles and understanding quality performance, risks and regulatory requirementsNot rated
well-led: Engaging and involving people using the service, the public and staffNot rated
well-led: Continuous learning and improving careNot rated
well-led: Working in partnership with othersNot rated