At the time of our inspection in April 2013, we found that the provider was non-compliant against the regulations in areas that we checked. These included care delivery, staff availability, quality monitoring, risk management and financial position. We returned to the provider on 1 August 2013 to check whether improvements had been made. We found that improvements had not been made and served warning notices in relation to the regulations breached. We gave the provider until 19 September 2013 to improve.
The provider did not send us an action plan following their August 2013 inspection. This meant that they did not provide us with information about how compliance would be achieved. However, an action plan was sent to us during the October inspection.
We returned to the provider on 10 and 16 October 2013 to check whether improvements had been made. We found that whilst some progress had been made, compliance had not been achieved in the regulations in relation to care delivery, staff availability, quality monitoring and risk management.
During the October inspection, we spoke with nine people who received personal care or their family members. We spoke with care and office staff supporting them. Most people told us that they were happy with the individual staff members who worked for the provider. A person who was using the service told us 'I am very happy with my carers, they understand my needs.'
However, some people told us that they continued to receive a poor service. In particular, this was on occasions where people's regular carers were not working. A relative of a person using the service told us 'The first carer arrived at the correct time and the second carer arrived towards the end. This meant that we didn't get the full half hour call.'
The findings of our inspection showed that whilst some progress had been made, systems in place for quality monitoring and risk management had failed to identify that people's care and support needs were not always being met in a safe and timely manner.
We found that a number of care staff and office staff had left the providers employment since our August inspection. Staff told us that this was because up until recently, their wages had not been paid in a timely manner. However, staff told us that this situation was improving and that they had now been paid for most, but not all, of the work they had undertaken.
Over recent months local authority staff involved in the care of people who used the service had monitored the safety and quality of service provided. In response to concerns about people's safety and welfare, the care of at least fifty people had been transferred to alternative care providers. Arrangements were in place so that no additional care packages would be given to the provider until the local authority was assured that improvements had been made and sustained.