FCNA Homecare

The assessment found gaps in how the provider supported people to make decisions about their care and treatment. Records did not show that important decisions were consistently assessed, recorded, or reviewed, and there was limited evidence of oversight where restrictions or complex medicines were involved.

There were also weaknesses in how the provider managed risks and safety. Medicines were not always reviewed when concerns arose, incidents such as falls were not consistently assessed to decide whether further action was needed, and there was limited evidence of routine checks to make sure people’s environments and equipment were safe.

Governance and oversight systems were not effective. The provider did not consistently ensure that required information about the service was accurate, recruitment checks were incomplete and not identified through internal review, and plans for dealing with emergencies or serious disruption were not being put into practice. There was little evidence that these plans had been tested or that learning was used to improve practice. Overall, systems for reviewing quality, monitoring risks and learning from events were weak.

Some people were not always sure when staff would arrive, which reduced confidence in the reliability of visit timings. However, people and families described staff as kind and respectful, and said staff responded appropriately to their needs during visits. Although people spoke positively about staff interactions, these weaknesses meant the provider could not show that risks were identified, monitored and acted on consistently across the service.

The service has been rated inadequate. We identified 3 breaches of the legal regulations. The provider was in breach of legal regulations in relation to the need for consent, safe care and treatment and good governance.

This service is being placed in special measures. The purpose of special measures is to ensure that services providing inadequate care make significant improvements. Special measures provide a framework within which we user our enforcement powers in response to inadequate care and provide a timeframe within which providers must improve the quality of the care they provide

In instances where CQC has begun a process of regulatory action, we may publish this information on our website after any representations and/or appeals have been concluded, if the action has been taken forward.