Middleton care service put in special measures by CQC

The Elms provides supported independent living in Middleton, Manchester

A care service put people at risk of abuse and did not follow safeguarding processes, an inspection by the health watchdog found.

The Elms in Middleton, Greater Manchester, provides supported living for adults with autism, sensory impairment or learning disability.

It was rated inadequate and put in special measures after an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Rhombus Care Group Limited said it had reviewed all its policies.

The CQC said the inspection was partly prompted by concerns about the standard of care the service was providing and at the time of inspection, in November, there were 12 people using the service.

Inspectors found risks were not always being assessed and managed and accidents and incidents were not always recorded appropriately.

They also found necessary consent forms were not always in place and independence was not always promoted and the service did not always promote a positive, open culture.

Although a complaints policy was in place it was not always followed and there was no evidence to show lessons were being learned from incidents and concerns.

CQC director Debbie Ivanova said: "When we inspected The Elms, we found people weren't always supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives.

"People's needs and choices weren't always consistently recorded, therefore it wasn't clear if they received the care they wished for.

"People weren't always safeguarded from abuse. We found a number of incidents and concerns that should have been raised with the local authority's safeguarding team, that hadn't been.

"Staff had received safeguarding training, however the appropriate processes and procedures weren't being followed to keep people safe which is not acceptable."

The service was rated inadequate for being safe and well-led and rated as requires improvement for being effective, caring and responsive and will be kept under review and re-inspected to check sufficient improvements had been made, the CQC said.

A spokeswoman for Rhombus Care Group Limited said: "During the inspection, any findings reported to us by the CQC were remedied immediately.

"Following the full report, we have reviewed all the policies and procedures of the company to ensure they comply with the NICE guidelines.

"We have submitted an in-depth action plan to the CQC which has been completed with further works ongoing to bring the service up to the high standards we expect to attain."