BlueCross Life Care, headquartered in Failsworth, has been told to improve in all areas.

The home-care organisation provides a service to younger and older adults with various needs, including physical disabilities, mental health conditions, dementia, learning disabilities, and autism.

It was told to improve in a report published on Monday, January 23, the first inspection the service had received after registering in January 2019.

An inspector visited the service in November and December last year.

At the time of the inspection, just one person was using the service.

In the report, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said that, while staff had received general learning disability training, they had not received in-depth training relating to the needs of a patient they were caring for.

Medicines were said to not be managed safely, with recruitment checks, auditing systems, and governance systems said to be lacking.

Lacklustre record-keeping systems were also criticised, with no system in place for staff to record the times in and out of visits, and details of discussions and reviews to care packages not recorded.

The report said care records were ‘not always dignified’ and that care plans ‘did not consider the person’s end of life wishes’, however staff were praised for promoting the independence of the person they care for, and supporting them to make their own day-to-day decisions.

Care plans were said to not be dignified – with a continence aid referred to as a ‘nappy’, for example.

While no evidence of harm was found, the CQC identified a breach of regulations relating to safe care and treatment due to poor processes and documentation relating to medical records, which were not always properly maintained.

Good governance regulations had also been breached, due to a lack of quality checks on medical records and for auditing.

Additionally, one staff member did not have a disclosure and barring service (DBS) background check which had been sourced by the provider, instead relying on one from a previous employer.

Inspectors said the person receiving care had been protected from the risks of abuse, with staff trusted to keep them safe.

Staff were also said to be timely on visits, with carers informing of any potential delays.

The full report can be read on the Care Quality Commission website.