Public cash still funding ‘inadequate’ care for the elderly
MP BRANDS FAILURE ‘SHOCKING BETRAYAL’
HEALTH chiefs in Salford are still using public cash to fund ‘inadequate’ care for the elderly and vulnerable – two years after serious concerns were first raised about the service.
In that time Angels @ Home C.I.C has been inspected by the Care Quality Commission four times and not once achieved a ‘good’ or above rating.
Instead, the health watchdog recorded a catalogue of issues, including failures to carry out DBS checks, hiring convicted criminals, and care visits cut to just two minutes as a result of ‘unorganised rotas.’
Barbara Keeley, MP for Worsley and Eccles South, has also raised concerns after being contacted by whistleblowers and family members.
Despite this, bosses at Salford Royal chose to keep using the service to provide in-home care to residents. They say they are monitoring the service closely and will take immediate action if they feel anyone is unsafe.
Angels @ Home, who say they are working hard to address all of the CQC’s concerns, was first commissioned by Salford City Council in October 2014 just after it was set up. When the NHS Trust took over responsibility of adult social care services from the council in July 2016, it had still not been inspected, according to the CQC website.
The service was first inspected in February 2017 - almost two-and-a-half years after it began caring for elderly and vulnerable people on behalf of the council and NHS Trust - when it was thrown into special measures after being rated ‘inadequate.’
A report by the CQC revealed Angels @ Home bosses failed to carry out background checks and employed people with criminal convictions.
Staff were taken on to work in elderly people’s homes before Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks had been completed, the CQC said at the time.
One worker, who had a criminal conviction, cared for people in their homes unsupervised for three months before a DBS check was done.
Ms Keeley, who is also shadow Minister for Mental Health and Social Care, branded it a ‘shocking betrayal of families’ trust.’
The politician says she has been raising concerns about the service since, yet feels her efforts have fallen on deaf ears. A second inspection in September 2017 did note some improvements. It was rated good in three out of five key areas, however was still given ‘requires improvement’ overall.
Six months later CQC bosses visited again and found more things that needed to improve.