Welsh domiciliary care manager struck off over series of failures

A domiciliary care manager has been removed from the Register of Social Care Workers for failing to comply with the Domiciliary Care Agencies (Wales) Regulations 2004.

A Fitness to Practise Panel found that Mark Andrew Rowlands, who operated a small domiciliary care agency, was the sole person responsible for ensuring that the agency complied with the requirements of the regulations and that he failed to do so.

The hearing was told that an inspection of the agency by the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW) found that it wasn’t keeping satisfactory records of individuals and service delivery plans, and that its staff training, recruitment and system of reviewing the quality of the service and personal care were all inadequate.

During the hearing, the Panel heard that despite two chances to remedy these failings, Mr Rowlands failed to adequately address the agency’s non-compliances in all but one of the areas identified, and at a second inspection further failings to comply with the regulations were identified.

The Panel heard detailed oral evidence from the CSSIW inspector who undertook the inspections and found her evidence to be robust, credible and supported by documentary evidence. Mr Rowlands did not attend the hearing nor did he contest any of the charges.

The Panel concluded that Mr Rowlands’s fitness to practise was impaired by reason of misconduct and a lack of competence.

In considering its decision, the Panel found it credible that Mr Rowlands should have addressed at least some of the non-compliances, especially due to the modest size of the agency and that some of the issues were easily remediable. It felt this lack of care and commitment amounted to misconduct.

The Panel also concluded that Mr Rowlands presented a risk to individuals using the services and had the potential to undermine public confidence in the social care workforce. As there was no evidence that Mr Rowlands had undertaken any remedial action or shown any intent to remedy the problems, the Panel concluded that Mr Rowlands’s fitness to practise was currently impaired.

For more information about the charges, visit the Hearings outcome page.