An agency delivering personal care to nearly 40 vulnerable people in Trafford which was once deemed to be unsafe for its clients has improved - but still 'requires improvement'. The latest inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out at Stockport-based Falcon Cares on September 21 was a follow-up to a visit that had deemed its service as 'inadequate'.
Then, the CQC team found Falcon Cares had 'failed to robustly assess risks relating to the health, safety and welfare of people' - a breach of regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008. However, following the latest inspection, the team found the provider was no longer in breach of regulation 12 because 'enough improvement had been made'.
The report said: "People's risk assessments were now all in place and were detailed and comprehensive. Staff knew people's needs well and knew what actions to take to protect them from the risk of harm."
It said Falcon Cares had improved processes to learn from when 'things had gone wrong'. The new systems in place meant actions were addressed in a timely way and learning was taken from issues identified, it said.
The report went on: "At our last inspection we found people were not always protected from abuse and improper treatment. This was a breach of regulation 13 (of the Act). Enough improvement had been made at this inspection and the provider was not longer in breach of regulation 13."
Inspectors found the management of medicine was 'much improved'. People received their medication as needed and protocols were in place to guide staff and aid the safe administration of medicines.
And a new electronic system was being fully utilised to mitigate the risk of medicine errors, the report said. "Staffing levels were more consistent and staff said they felt they had the time to support people in an unrushed way, with one person saying 'staff do now take time to chat'," it continued.
"Staff were now in receipt of regular supervisions and records were kept to document staff performance and development. Staff were recruited safely. The provider's records of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks were more robustly and readily available for us to view."
But the report added: "We could not improve the rating for safe to 'good' because to do so requires consistent good practice over time." Although the overall rating as well as for safety and leadership were 'requires improvement', the service was rated as 'good' in the categories of caring and responsiveness.
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