Mercury Care Services Ltd is a home care service providing personal care to older people, younger adults and people living with dementia. At the time of our assessment 7 people were using the service. We assessed the service from 19 January 2026 to 3 March 2026. We carried out the assessment due to the time elapsed since our last assessment. People received safe and effective care and support, were protected from abuse and felt safe with staff. They were protected from the risk of infection and received their medicines as prescribed. The provider involved people and their relatives in the planning and delivery of their care and people were supported to be as independent as possible. People received their care from trained staff who were caring and kind and respected people’s dignity. The provider and staff obtained people’s consent before making decisions and carrying out tasks and people had choice and control over their care and support. People and their relatives were able to raise concerns and share feedback and felt comfortable to do so. They were confident they would be listened to and action would be taken. There were some areas that required some improvement, including staff punctuality at care calls, medicines management, record keeping and the provider’s quality assurance systems and processes. However, we found no evidence anyone had been harmed or adversely affected by these issues. During our assessment the provider explained what they would do to improve these areas of the service and we were confident the provider would take the necessary action.
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Mercury Care Services Limited received a Good rating across all five key questions at its February 2017 inspection, with 31 people receiving domiciliary care. The service demonstrated strong safeguarding practices, safe recruitment, effective governance and person-centred care with no significant concerns identified.
Strengths
· Staff trained to recognise and report abuse with clear escalation procedures including whistleblowing awareness
· Robust recruitment process including five-year reference checks, DBS checks and right-to-work verification
· No missed care calls reported; office proactively redirected staff when running late to minimise waiting
· Comprehensive induction including Care Certificate covering 15 areas, shadowing and practical equipment training
· Quarterly supervision, regular spot checks and annual appraisals ensuring staff were supported and competent
Mercury Care Services Ltd was rated Requires Improvement overall following an April 2018 inspection, with breaches of Regulation 12 identified for unsafe medicines management and inadequate risk assessment and incident follow-up. Caring and responsive practice were rated Good, with staff demonstrating person-centred values, but governance systems failed to detect or rectify the safety and care-record deficiencies found.
Concerns (6)
criticalMedication management: “Care records did not contain a written record of what medicines people were supposed to be taking, the method of administration and the dosage, frequency and times.”
criticalIncident learning: “Two incidents relating to one person which had not been responded to appropriately... registered manager had not spoken to any healthcare professionals about this person's needs.”
moderateCare planning: “Information in relation to two people's catheter care needs was not included in their care records... no specific instructions for how care workers were expected to meet their catheter care needs.”
moderateRecord keeping: “Two people were identified as being at risk of developing a pressure ulcer, however there were no risk assessments in place.”
moderateGovernance: “Quality monitoring systems did not prompt the registered manager to appropriately identify and manage the issues we found.”
minorCare planning: “No specific information recorded about what care workers were required to do in assisting the person... people at risk of not having their needs met if seen by care workers who were new to them.”
Strengths
· People felt safe and gave positive feedback about care workers treating them with kindness and respect.
· Effective safeguarding policies and procedures in place; care workers demonstrated good understanding of safeguarding responsibilities.
· Safer recruitment practices in place including DBS checks, right-to-work checks and two references.
· Sufficient staffing levels maintained with consistent care worker allocation.
· Staff received induction, ongoing training, supervision every two months and unannounced spot checks.
Quality-Statement breakdown (19)
safe: Incidents and accidentsRequires improvement
safe: Medicines managementRequires improvement
safe: Risk assessment and managementRequires improvement
safe: SafeguardingGood
safe: Staffing levels and recruitmentGood
safe: Infection controlGood
effective: Care records and healthcare needsRequires improvement
This focused inspection of Mercury Care Services Limited, prompted by concerns about visit timeliness, medicines management, staff eligibility, and nutrition, found the service to be Good in both Safe and Effective domains. Key issues identified were incomplete medicines information in care plans and limited recording of people's food preferences, both of which the registered manager agreed to address.
Concerns (2)
moderateMedication management: “in one care plan we reviewed, we found there was not a full list of the medicines the person was supposed to be taking...the dosage of medicines the person was supposed to be taking was not recorded”
minorCare planning: “there was very little advice within care records about what people's likes and dislikes were in relation to food which would help to ensure that care workers met people's individual needs”
Strengths
· Care workers attended to people on time and stayed for the full length of their calls
· Provider conducted checks to ensure staff were eligible to work in the UK, retaining copies of passports and residence permits
· Medicines administration charts accurately recorded medicines required, minimising risk of errors
· Care records contained sufficient information about people's nutritional needs including dietary requirements and allergies
· Weekly time sheets signed by people using the service were checked by the registered manager with discrepancies followed up
Mercury Care Services Ltd improved from Requires Improvement to Good across all five key questions, having resolved two prior regulatory breaches relating to medicines management and risk assessment. The service demonstrated strong person-centred care, robust governance, and a positive open culture under effective registered manager leadership.
Strengths
· Medicines management improved since last inspection; all staff trained in safe administration and clear policies in place
· Comprehensive risk assessments in place for each person, signed by people using the service
· Robust safeguarding procedures with staff demonstrating knowledge of how to recognise and respond to abuse
· Appropriate recruitment procedures including DBS checks, identity checks and references
· Regular one-to-one supervision and annual refresher training for all staff
Quality-Statement breakdown (21)
safe: Using medicines safelyGood
safe: Assessing risk, safety monitoring and managementGood
safe: Systems and processes to safeguard people from the risk of abuseGood
safe: Staffing and recruitmentGood
safe: Preventing and controlling infectionGood
safe: Learning lessons when things go wrongGood
effective: Assessing people's needs and choices; delivering care in line with standards, guidance and the lawGood
effective: Staff support: induction, training, skills and experienceGood
effective: Mental Capacity Act compliance
Good
effective: Staff training, induction and supervisionGood
caring: Kindness, respect and dignityGood
caring: Person-centred knowledge and continuityGood
caring: Advocacy and independenceGood
responsive: Care planning and involvementRequires improvement
responsive: Recreational interests and social needsGood
responsive: Complaints handlingGood
well-led: Quality monitoring and governanceRequires improvement
well-led: Staff morale and leadership cultureGood
well-led: Engagement with people and multidisciplinary teamGood
effective: Supporting people to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced dietGood
effective: Supporting people to live healthier lives, access healthcare services and supportGood
effective: Ensuring consent to care and treatment in line with law and guidanceGood
caring: Ensuring people are well treated and supported; respecting equality and diversityGood
caring: Supporting people to express their views and be involved in making decisions about their careGood
caring: Respecting and promoting people's privacy, dignity and independenceGood
responsive: Planning personalised care to meet people's needs, preferences, interests and give them choice and controlGood
responsive: Improving care quality in response to complaints or concernsGood
responsive: End of life care and supportGood
well-led: Planning and promoting person-centred, high-quality care and support with opennessGood
well-led: Managers and staff being clear about their roles, and understanding quality performance, risks and regulatory requirementsGood
well-led: Engaging and involving people using the service, the public and staffGood
well-led: Continuous learning and improving careGood