Gateshead care firm requires improvement, CQC finds

E2E Homecare provides homecare and supported living services

Care staff looking after people with disabilities and mental health issues did not know what to do when one person "had a choking fit", a watchdog heard.

Other workers from Gateshead-based E2E Homecare "didn't know what Rice Krispies were or how to fry an egg" when providing meals.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated the firm's services as requiring improvement.

E2E Homecare said it had implemented steps to continuously improve services.

In a newly published report, the CQC said its inspectors found the care company's staffing levels and deployment "were not always effectively managed" and that people did not always receive care "from a consistent team".

It said it was also not assured staff had received all the appropriate training to support people safely and that medicines management systems were not always effective.

One person told inspectors staff "most certainly didn't know what to do" when their relative had a choking fit, adding: "I had to tell them what to do."

'Communication difficulties'

Staff were recruited "safely", the report said, and "some people and their relatives were happy with the care and support they received".

However, the provider "failed to maintain sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled, and experienced staff" to meet people's needs.

The "majority of people had experienced difficulties communicating with staff", the CQC said, because English was not the first language of the care workers.

Policies and systems were in place to help ensure people were protected from the risk of abuse and "most of the people we spoke with during the inspection told us they felt safe in the presence of staff", the report added.

The inspections were carried out late last year and E2E Homecare was providing care to 19 people at the time.

In a statement E2E Homecare said: "In line with CQC recommendations, we are committed to ensuring that we provide a sufficient number of suitably qualified, competent, skilled, and experienced staff to meet people's care needs.

"We also have implemented effective governance and quality assurance measures to maintain and continuously improve our services."

This story has been updated to include the statement from E2E Homecare.