HOME CARE FIRM SLAMMED AGAIN BY WATCHDOG

by Ollie Cowan (August 2016)

A HOME care provider has been slammed by a health watchdog for the second time in the space of just 10 months for failing its patients.

In the latest damning report, it was discovered that a carer employed by Community Care Direct, based in Shakespear Street, turned up at a sick patient’s house covered in excrement.

The findings were revealed in a report by the Care and Qualities Commission after officers returned to the Southport service in May 2016. The health body had already placed the care provider in special measures, branding them inadequate following an inspection in November 2015.

However, it has now been revealed that one of their carers showed up to an elderly and infirm patient’s house with their arms and hands covered in faeces – causing the client to be ‘distressed and upset.’

In a shocking development it was also revealed that the carer was seemingly ‘indifferent’ to the fact that they were covered in excrement and did not understand why it caused such concerns.

Community Care Direct have since been given a list of ultimatums that they will need to carry out before the next CQC inspection – if they fail to do so they could be shut down.

A spokesperson for the CQC said: “One person who had complex health care needs and received 24 hour care in their own home told us how a staff member arrived at their home with faeces on their hands and arms.

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“We spoke to the person, their relative and a staff member who also reported this to us.

“A staff member also told us about this incident and that the person was distressed believing they had been incontinent. It was reported to us that the staff member did not seem concerned that is was unsafe practice to arrive at a person's home to deliver care with soiled hands or arms.

“It was evident the staff member had not worn gloves whilst delivering care to the person they had attended to previously placing themselves at risk and people at risk of cross infection.

“In view of this incident we were concerned not all staff were aware of the importance of following infection control hand practices including washing their hands in between their care visits to different people.

“We asked the registered manager what they had done about this and we were informed by the manager that as the relative of the service user had not asked that they looked into the incident as a complaint it was not investigated or looked into further.

“Therefore, it was not known why this incident had occurred to ensure it would not happen again.”

Since the damning findings Community Care Direct have been issued a number of ultimatums by the health watchdog that they must now follow in order to get out of special measures. The home care provider will now need to act on these issues otherwise face further sanctions that could lead to them being shut down.