Willenhall care service faces closure less than a year after opening

Promises of Care, in Planetary Business Park, Willenhall, six months to improve or face closure having been placed in special measures.

Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found staff at the service, which provide home care to people suffering with dementia, were not giving medicines as prescribed and were not aware of people’s specific risks.

The service, which cares for more than a dozen people, saw its safety and leadership given the basement rating of inadequate, while its effectiveness, care and responsiveness was rated as requires improvement.

A report prepared after CQC inspectors visited the service in April stated: “People’s medicines were not always given as prescribed or managed in a safe way.

“Risks to people had not always been accurately identified, assessed or managed and not all staff were aware of people’s specific risks and how to manage them.

“People were not always supported by staff that had been safely recruited. Most people told us their calls were often late and they had occasionally experienced missed calls.

“The principles and application of the Mental Capacity Act was not always understood and followed where people lacked capacity to make decisions for themselves.

“People who were supported with food and drink were not always supported by staff who understood their specific dietary requirements.

“People’s care plans were not always kept up to date and staff were not always aware of people’s specific needs or preferences. People knew how to complain, however the provider was not always appropriately managing complaints received.”

Inspectors were particularly critical of the service’s leadership, adding: “The service was not well led. Not everyone we spoke with told us they would recommend the service to others.”

“The provider was not always safely recruiting staff. There were not sufficient systems in place to ensure people were provided with safe and effective care that met their needs.

“Systems that were being used to monitor the quality and consistency of the service were not effective at identifying the required improvements. People’s feedback was not always used to drive improvements.”However the service was praised for encouraging people to make ‘day to day decisions about their case’ as well as supporting people to maintain their independence.

The service has been contacted by the Express & Star but did not respond before it went to print.