Warning for Cambridgeshire care company

A company which provides care for elderly and vulnerable people has been issued a formal warning by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Angel Care, a domiciliary care agency based in Ely, is failing to protect the safety and welfare of the residents it serves, according to the commission.

The independent regulator of all health and adult social care in England has written to the company and urged its owner, Lisa Dews, to make urgent improvements. If they are not made, the CQC will take further action, which could include legal action.

The warning follows a visit by inspectors to the care agency, based at Grovemere House, at the Lancaster Way Business Park, on August 23.

They were following up concerns which CQC had said must be addressed at the time of a previous inspection.

Inspectors say the company, which employs 50 care staff and caters for almost 250 clients, is failing to respond to a previously-raised safeguarding concern, which relates to healthcare.

The CQC also insists the firm has not ‘ensured that the risk of harm or injury to people using the service had been assessed and measures to protect people from further harm were not in place’.

Inspectors added: “There were gaps in the safeguarding training for staff and a safeguarding policy drawn up by the agency was not being followed.”

Frances Carey, regional director of CQC in the East of England, said: “This warning sends a clear and public message that the owner of Angel Care needs to address this issue as a matter of urgency or face serious consequences.

“Our inspectors will return in the near future and if we find that the required progress is not made we won’t hesitate to use our legal powers to protect the people who use this service.”

Angel Care is contracted by social services.

Miss Dews, owner of Angel Care, said: “We have listened to the CQC’s recommendations and have co-operated very fully both with themselves and Cambridgeshire County Council.

“I have now revised Angel Care’s written safeguarding policy so as to contain all matters that the county council include within their own policy and recommend as best practice.

“My staff are now receiving renewed training and I have tightened up procedures so as to ensure that our staff understand that attendance on such courses are mandatory.

“I would like to make it clear that service users of Angel Care are entirely safe in our hands.”