Caremark (Hatfield &Welwyn)

People were consistently not receiving care visits for the planned duration. The provider and manager did not complete an analysis of completed care calls data and were unaware of the shortfalls we found.

Robust evidence of staff training was not available, and we received inconsistent feedback regarding the support and supervision in place, compared to the records we reviewed.

Overall, processes in place to record, monitor and provide oversight of the safety of people and the delivery of care required improvement. The ‘governance log’ used by the manager to record and complete analysis of incidents, accidents and untoward events was inaccurate. Audits and checks completed were inconsistent with actual events. This meant that responsive action was not being taken as needed.

Risks to people’s health, safety and wellbeing along with environmental risks had been assessed. However, we found that assessments and resulting care plans had not always been updated when people experienced a change in their needs and were not always specific to each individual.

Safeguarding referrals had been made when required, however outcomes were not consistently recorded and a learning culture was not evident.

Despite our findings, people felt safe when receiving care and gave positive feedback regarding their experiences.

During our assessment of this key question, we found the concerns in relation to staffing and staff training to be a breach of regulation.

You can find more details of our concerns in the evidence category findings below.

People and their relatives offered positive feedback in relation to the management of the service and their experiences. However, we received mixed feedback from staff regarding the management and governance processes in place.

Changes at both provider and management level had contributed to instability at the service. There was a lack of provider oversight, which had failed to ensure the service was operated safely and ensure action was being taken to make improvements where needed.

Whistleblower concerns had been received. We found improvements were needed with regards to hearing the voice of staff, along with the recording, investigating and responding to concerns shared.

During our assessment of this key question, we found quality assurance systems in place were not being operated effectively. Concern found at this assessment had not been identified through checks and audits and, where audits had been completed, these did not offer accurate information or oversight. This was a breach in regulation.

You can find more details of our concerns in the evidence category findings below.