Adult care agency rated inadequate after death

The inspection found the quality of care at Caremark in Wokingham and Bracknell had "deteriorated significantly"

An adult care agency has been rated inadequate following an inspection after a person who used the service later died in hospital.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected Caremark in Wokingham and Bracknell, which provides care to adults in their own homes, including those with a learning disability or who are autistic.

The inspection found the quality of care at the agency had "deteriorated significantly".

A spokesperson for Caremark said: "We are working closely with the CQC to address all identified concerns and have already begun implementing comprehensive improvements to our processes.

"The quality and safety of care delivery remain our absolute priority."

The watchdog did not examine the specific incident where an individual died, but rather looked at concerns that were raised as a result of the incident.

Concerns raised

The inspection found that people's care notes included "inappropriate language", with one person referred to solely by their surname, and showed staff did not always raise concerns with managers.

It also found problems with medicine management, a lack of guidance on how to communicate with people, and that leaders were not ensuring people understood their care in line with the Mental Capacity Act.

The inspector also found poor recruitment records, with "no evidence staff had been interviewed for their roles".

The CQC's deputy director of operations in Berkshire, Roger James, said the inspection also found staff did not have the correct training - including in areas such as delivering medicines, or how to manage choking.

The service has been placed in special measures, meaning it will be closely monitored to ensure improvements are made and people are kept safe, the CQC said.

Caremark cares for people in their own homes

Mr James said the inspection was concerning, and that "poor leadership" was behind most of the issues.

"We found many gaps in care plans including key information about people's needs, and missing guidance from external healthcare professionals," he said.

"We also heard that people's care wasn't always consistent, with family members having to show staff how to provide the care, as staff didn't have the right information."

Caremark said it had already made a number of changes, including a review of administrative procedures, enhanced staff training on documentation requirements, and regular monitoring.