CQC inspected Farcet care agency after abuse allegation

An abuse allegation led to the CQC carrying out an inspection at a care agency near Peterborough – where a range of issues including the use of expired medicine was found.

Inspectors visited An Darach Care, a care agency providing personal care and support to younger adults with a learning disability based in Peterborough Road, Farcet on four occasions over the summer.

The CQC said the inspection was prompted in part by notification of an incident following an allegation of abuse – the investigation into the allegation is still ongoing.

However, after finding a number of issues, the agency was given a rating of Requires improvement.

In their report, the inspectors said: “Care was not always provided in a dignified manner which had the potential to compromise people's human rights."

The report added: “Care was not always provided in a person-centred way which promoted people's dignity, independence or human rights. There were not always staff with suitable skills deployed to meet the needs of people. There were some gaps in staff training, and we were not assured staff had the skills and knowledge to fill the requirements of their role. Medicines were not always safely managed, and medicine records were not always completed accurately.”

One of the issues found by the inspectors was the use of expired medicine. The report said: “During the inspection we found an expired medicine. Records showed staff had administered this medicine on 8 occasions, this meant the medicine may not have been effective. Staff did not follow processes to ensure medicines were checked so they were safe to use.”

However, there was praise in the report, with inspectors saying: “People had care plans which contained a lot of information regarding their behaviour and how best to support them. We observed staff delivering care in line with that person's care plan. The staff we observed knew people well.”

Adam Henderson, managing director of the Kisimul Group, which runs the agency, said; “Welfare of the people we support is our highest priority and we continue to work with the CQC and stakeholders to ensure all actions and learnings are implemented.”

To read the report in full, visit https://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-7900244373