Middleton care agency forms action plan after CQC rating drop

Nearly three years after being rated good across the board, inspectors, who visited on December 16, found that PRN Homecare requires improvement in all areas, except for care.

“PRN have acknowledged the CQC report and their findings,” manager Peter Whiteley said. “Some of the requirements that were highlighted were quickly remedied and applied into daily practice. Other findings showed that our back-office system’s and procedure’s needed reviewing and updating, to keep in line with the current regulations.”

The domiciliary care agency at Elmer Road, which provides care and support to people living in their own homes who have a range of needs, said an action plan has been devised and implemented to ‘quickly and effectively rectify the areas requiring improvement’.

Mr Whiteley added: “We would also like to take this opportunity to emphasise that the report acknowledged that PRN remained at a good rating for caring, treating customers with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect by our valued staff.

“The management and staff at PRN are committed to the improvement of the service and ensuring the people we support are offered the best possible care.”

The inspector noted that people were supported by ‘familiar and consistent’ staff who knew their care needs and understood how to meet these safely. It added that risks had been assessed, but ‘further information was needed’ so that staff could safely meet people’s identified health needs and associated risks.

The inspection summary added: “Staff received training that equipped them in their role [but] we found they had not received specific training in the mental capacity act and this impacted on compliance with this legislation. People told us staff obtained their consent before supporting them with care and support but people were not always supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives.”