Gravesend Home Care Agency Placed Under Special Measures Due to Safety Concerns

A home care provider situated in Gravesend, Kent, has been subjected to special measures “to protect people” subsequent to a regulatory review. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessed Angy Care Limited as inadequate after a September inspection identified safety issues. Subsequent to this inspection, the CQC stated it “took urgent action to restrict people being supported by the service” and temporarily halted the service’s registration for a period of three months. Angy Care, which offers personal care and assistance within individuals’ residences, has been approached by the BBC for comment. Reviewers determined that potential safety hazards for clients were not adequately addressed, and personnel had not consistently completed the necessary training to ensure client safety. According to the CQC, “Angy Care could not be sure staff were suitable to work with vulnerable people.” Serena Coleman, who serves as the CQC’s deputy director of operations in the south, characterized the standard of care delivered as “completely unacceptable.” Ms Coleman stated, “When we inspected Angy Care Limited, we found poor leadership across the service and inadequate systems to keep people safe.” She added, “This was clearly demonstrated in the three site visits we carried out to the registered office.” Furthermore, Ms Coleman noted that the registered manager neither participated in nor supported all three visits and “didn’t engage with inspectors.” She further commented, “We couldn’t gather enough evidence to ensure that the service was safe,” explaining that this situation “placed people at immediate risk of abuse, neglect or harm.” The CQC also reported that the agency was unable to show how it intended to, or could, enhance its care provision methods. Ms Coleman reiterated, “This standard of care we saw being provided by Angy Care Limited is completely unacceptable.” She continued, “We expect reasonable engagement from the leaders about their services, whether that is during inspection activity or in our regular monitoring, and people are at risk of coming to harm if the service is operating without the benefit of CQC oversight.” The CQC indicated it would rigorously oversee the service to guarantee that necessary enhancements are implemented. For updates, follow BBC Kent on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story submissions can be sent to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp at 08081 002250. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for material found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available for review.