Care service provider rated inadequate by CQC

A domiciliary care service provider in Kent has been rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which has taken steps to limit its number of clients.

Initial Care Services South East Limited, run by a provider with the same name, offers personal care in people's own homes in Medway and the wider Kent area, including those with autism and learning disabilities.

The CQC said the service had been placed into special measures, which means it will be kept under close review to ensure people are safe while improvements are made.

A spokesperson from the service said it did not agree with a majority of the CQC's comments, but that it had been cooperating with the watchdog.

They added: "Initial Care Service South East Limited take the safety of our service users to heart and [are] always on ground to support both the service users and carers whenever we feel the extra support is needed."

Following the inspection, the overall rating for the service and ratings for safety and leadership dropped from good to inadequate.

Areas classed "responsive", "caring" and "effective" also declined from a good rating to requiring improvement.

Serena Coleman, CQC deputy director of operations in the south, said: "We were concerned to find leaders weren't managing the service well, causing safety issues which put people at risk of harm."

Leaders were not providing staff with essential induction training, like first aid and managing medicines, or able to prove how they were supporting staff to keep those skills up, she added.

The service has been told it must report on its action plan on a monthly basis.

"We will return to check on their progress and won't hesitate to take further action if people are not receiving the care they have a right to expect," Ms Coleman added.

However, the report said the service communicated well with families when planning care and people gave positive feedback on the service they received.

Staff also said they felt supported by the registered manager.

The service said immediately after the inspection it looked for a centre to carry out "physical training" for its staff and these had been completed and the certificates shared with the CQC.

The spokesperson added that it operated an open policy and engaged with staff and users to improve its service and to help its carers grow.

Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.