Sheffield care service told it must make urgent improvements following Government inspection

A Sheffield care service has been told it must make urgent improvements following an inspection by a Government health watchdog.
Thames Homecare Services, Burngreave.Thames Homecare Services, Burngreave.
Thames Homecare Services, Burngreave.

Thames Homecare Services Ltd, which specialises in helping people with substance misuse, eating disorders and and mental health conditions in their own homes, was told it 'requires improvement' by the Care Quality Commission.

The firm's management, safety, effectiveness and responsiveness were all said to below par. However, the firm's 'care' was rated as 'good'.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

CQC inspectors found five breaches of the Health & Social Care Act 2008.

In a report published by the CQC inspectors raised concerns around care and medicine plans lacking in detail, one instance of mental capacity assessment not being carried out and a 'lack of robust and regular auditing'.

A CQC spokesman said: "Our check of medicine records identified that medicines were not always safely managed and recorded. This meant that people accessing the service might not be protected against the risks associated with the unsafe management of medicines.

"Risk assessments that were present in the care plans did not provide detailed person specific information to mitigate the risks.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"There was no evidence of best interest decisions when people lacked the capacity to consent to specific decisions, meaning that decisions were made for people without appropriate legal processes being followed."

The service users who inspectors spoke to said they were 'well cared for' and were happy with the service.

A spokesman from Thames Homecare services in Sheffield said: "We have read the report carefully and we are going to make improvements as set out by the CQC inspectors.

"I thought the report contained some very good things but obviously there is areas the CQC want us to brush up on and we will without delay."

At the time of the unannounced inspection in October, 2016, the service was providing personal care for 35 people. There are around 40 staff employed by the agency.