Delta Care Trafford in special measures as people left 'at risk of harm'
- Published
Delta Care Trafford provides home care for people with dementia or other disabilities
A care agency has been put in special measures after an inspection found people were left "at risk of harm" and "did not feel safe in their own homes".
The Care Quality Commission also highlighted "a clear theme of a lack of communication" between staff and people using Delta Care in Greater Manchester.
One user reported staff "wandered round their property without permission" making them feel "frightened".
Delta Care Trafford said it has "worked hard" to improve.
An inspector visited the care agency, which was providing home care to 58 adults and one child at the time of inspection, in November.
Many of the company's service users suffer from dementia or other disabilities.
The inspector spoke to 12 people who used the service and three relatives and received 13 comments indicating care was "rushed".
'Did not feel safe'
They also said "the lateness of the calls and lack of communication about lateness was disappointing".
The report found:
Staff could often be an hour early or two hours late and said they did not always have enough time to travel between calls
People did not receive care and support from a regular staff member, with one person being seen by 14 different carers in one month
Those receiving care said they did not always feel safe as they were not sure who had access to their homes
People were not always treated with dignity and respect and did not feel involved in decisions
Medicines were not always safely managed
However, the inspection praised the way the company handled any potentially abusive practices, and staff were confident any concerns they reported would be acted upon.
It also said accidents were recorded and analysed to prevent future occurrences.
The CQC rated the service "inadequate" and will make another inspection within six months to check for "significant improvements".
A spokesman for Delta Care said: "We are naturally disappointed in the outcome but we have worked hard to resolve all issues and look forward to our re-inspection at any time."