Regulatory body places care provider under special measures

A care provider in north Kent, which offers support to individuals with autism and learning disabilities, has been placed under special measures after inspectors determined that some clients faced “at risk of abuse.” The Care Quality Commission (CQC) also downgraded the overall rating for Unite Highland Care in Dartford, changing it from good to inadequate. Deficiencies identified by inspectors included unsafe management of medications, inadequate detail in care plans, and poorly managed care calls. The company expressed its “disappointment” regarding the recent report but stated it had initiated “active steps to address concerns.” Unite Highland Care assists individuals living in their own homes across Kent and also provides care in supported living accommodations. At the time of the inspection, 23 people were receiving services from the company. Subsequent to the report, the regulatory body imposed conditions to limit the company’s care packages and mandated immediate actions to mitigate safety risks. Serena Coleman, the CQC’s deputy director of operations in the south, commented: “They didn’t understand the type of service they were running, and that the principles of supported living accommodation mean these spaces are people’s homes.” She added: “We found leaders had installed visitors’ books inside people’s rooms, built staff and visitors’ toilets, an office, and put office signage on the walls, which institutionalised the building.” Coleman further stated: “We found safeguarding issues, such as incidents between people, hadn’t been raised with us or the local authority which meant people were at risk of abuse.” A spokesperson for Unite Highland Care responded: “We are disappointed by the latest CQC assessment findings, however we remain steadfast in our commitment in making improvements and working closely with the CQC to address each identified area” The spokesperson continued: “We have taken active steps to address the regulator’s concerns and remain entirely focused on ensuring the improvements are sustained.” “We have enlisted the support of Fulcrum Care, a nationally recognised care consultancy, in driving forward service improvement. We have implemented new governance systems including a new complaints log, a new incident report tracker, a risk register and regular audits of the service.” The spokesperson concluded: “Care and support plans and associated risk assessments are in the process of being reviewed to ensure that they are detailed and contain the relevant information.”