Care service rated inadequate over staff shortages
Solsken Limited was given an inadequate rating by CQC inspectors
At a glance
Sheffield-based home care business Solsken Limited rated as inadequate by care watchdog
The Care Quality Commission cited “substantial and frequent” staff shortages as one of the reasons
Inspectors said more than half of families they spoke to raised staffing concerns
Solsken has said it will endeavour to tackle the issues raised in the report
- Published
A home care service where “substantial and frequent” staff shortages were said to put people at risk has been rated as inadequate by the care watchdog.
Inspectors found Sheffield-based Solsken Limited, which supports people in their own homes, did not have enough staff “to keep patients safe from avoidable harm and to provide care and treatment”.
The Care Quality Commission, external (CQC) ruling came after it carried out a full inspection in February, to follow-up on a warning issued to the service in July 2021 to make significant improvements.
Solsken Limited said it was "extremely disappointed" by the findings of the latest inspection but vowed to address concerns.
The company, which is funded by the NHS, provides care to 13 patients, according to the CQC report, external.
Following the recent review, inspectors said there were remaining “areas of concern”, which had not been fully addressed by the service since the previous inspection, including:
Insufficient staff to cover all shifts resulting in family members often having to provide care themselves
Excessive working hours and staff not able to take breaks
Staff not feeling valued
Managers not ensuring that staff tasked with training others were competent
Little understanding of the importance of culture
The report stated that more than half of the families inspectors spoke to raised concerns about staffing and said they were regularly providing care themselves due to lack of staff, and that this was affecting their own health.
However it said care records were “holistic and personal” and some patients and their families said staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected privacy and took account of individual needs.
Inspectors also noted that Solsken Limited ensured all staff completed mandatory training, controlled infection risk well and appraised employee’s work performance.
In a statement, the service said: "Solsken are extremely disappointed with the findings of our most recent report and have taken onboard all recommendations from the Care Quality Commission. We will endeavour to address all points raised and to ensure Solsken delivers a safe and effective service to all.”