Care agency left person unfed for days, report says
The domiciliary care agency was visited by CQC inspectors in June and their report was published last month
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A person being looked after by an "inadequate" care agency had not eaten for at least four days before paramedics were called, according to an inspection report.
Carers working for Slough-based Care Staff Services Ltd, external were found to have failed to report the person's lack of nutrition or seek timely support, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said.
In another incident, staff working for the domiciliary agency were found to have covered cameras in a person's home during a care call.
The agency said it had "complied fully" with the CQC's requests but "strongly refuted" the conclusion that its service was inadequate and was exploring taking legal action.
The CQC said the person who had not eaten for between four and five days had fainted and paramedics raised a safeguarding alert for neglect against Care Staff Services.
It said the agency "did not provide evidence of any follow-up action or supervision to address this critical incident or to assure that the implicated staff member was fit to continue caring for other vulnerable service users".
Inspectors found that the agency had breached six legal regulations relating to care when they visited in June.
"Care plans lacked detailed information which meant there was a risk people may not be supported according to their needs," it said.
At a previous inspection in 2019, all aspects of the agency were judged to be good, external.
In a statement, a Care Staff Services spokesperson said: "We have complied fully with the CQC's requests, including hiring an independent consultant to further strengthen our systems.
"Despite this, we believe that the inspection process was not impartial and that our organisation has been unfairly treated."
The spokesperson said they had submitted a formal complaint to the CQC following the inspection.
"Our legal team is actively challenging the findings and the rating issued by the CQC. We will not be silenced," they added.
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