A Shaw-based in-home care service has been ordered to improve by official inspectors in a report published yesterday.
Ambercare (North West) Ltd was given an overall rating of ‘requires improvement’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
It was previously rated ‘good’ in all areas.
Possible ratings are: Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, and Inadequate.
Ambercare provides in-home care to 85 people living in and around Oldham and Saddleworth.
Broken down into categories, Ambercare was told it needs to improve on safety and leadership, but was rated good for being caring.
The service was told it had failed to meet regulations on good governance, with the provider not ensuring consistent oversight.
Inspectors said there was an increased risk that people could be harmed by the service.
The service was criticised for not always learning lessons when things went wrong, with one person receiving minor injuries from a repeated incident, which may have been identified if analysis of the incidents had taken place.
Information from incidents, accidents and complaints was found to lack detail and not always contain information about actions taken to resolve issues. Some medical records were also found to need minor improvements.
However, care users and relatives of those using the service told inspectors they felt the care provided was safe – praising staff’s communication and company management.
Staff were praised by inspectors for correctly wearing PPE, including masks and gloves, when carrying out personal care tasks.
The service was found to be supporting and treating people with dignity and respect, being given a good rating for being caring. Carers were praised for respecting people they cared for, knowing their likes and dislikes, and respecting their privacy.
Leadership was criticised in the report, with some care records found to be lacking detail and staff supervision falling behind policy.
The leadership at the agency was told it did not always support the delivery of high-quality, person-centred care.
However, staff said told inspectors they enjoyed working for the company – with comments such as “I love Ambercare”.
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