- Homecare service
Excel Care Management Services Ltd
Assessment report published 17 June 2025
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Excel Care Management Services Ltd. is a domiciliary care agency registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to provide personal care and support to people living in their own homes. At the time of this assessment 197 people were receiving the regulated activity of personal care. The inspection was prompted by information of concern we received regarding the quality of care provided. The assessment included 4 site visits which took place on the 6, 10, 11 and 12 February 2025, with additional information and evidence reviewed remotely. An inspector, assessor and medicines’ inspector undertook this assessment. The assessment was supported by 3 Experts by Experience who made phone calls to 7 people, 10 relatives and 1 carer. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. This on-site inspection was announced, and we gave the provider notice the day before our first visit. The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulations in relation to good governance and safe care and treatment. Improvements were not found at this assessment, and the provider remained in breach of these regulations.Audit and governance processes needed improving. There was no clear process for learning from accidents and incidents. The providers’ policies and procedures were not always being followed. There were gaps in people’s care records and risk assessments in care plans lacked sufficient detail. Medicines were not always administered safely and there were gaps in some people’s medicines records. Staff did not always receive effective support, supervision and development. In instances where CQC have decided to take civil or criminal enforcement action against a provider, we will publish this information on our website after any representations and/or appeals have been concluded.
The mandatory training compliance rate for staff supporting people with autism and learning disabilities was below 40% and the provider did not have effective oversight of the Electronic Call System (ECM) data which was used to plan staff rotas based on peoples’ assessed needs. We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to these concerns.
People's experience of this service
We received mixed feedback from people and relatives regarding the quality of care provided. Whilst most people told us they felt safe and staff treated them with dignity and respect, several people and relatives told us staff did not always stay for the full length of the scheduled visit. Visits commissioned by the local authority for 15 minutes were not long enough to discuss any health-related issues, or for people and relatives to have meaningful conversations with staff. One person told us, “Fifteen-minute visits are unreasonable; visits can take longer. It’s not fair on the carers; they have to rush to their next visit, and an improvement in staffing levels is needed.” A relative said, “Staff are on time mainly, but it can vary; they are meant to stay 30 minutes to 45 minutes, but realistically it’s more like 20 minutes, as they are so busy and have no time.” Another relative told us, “[Person] does feel safe with the carers as he says they do things for him which helps smooth his day out.”
Most referrals into the service had been received from the local authority. Most people told us their care needs were assessed, and they had met with staff to discuss care needs, before or soon after their care package started. However, 1 person said, “I didn’t have any assessments when I was discharged from hospital. The agency just turned up. I didn’t know anyone or what they would be doing.” Some people and relatives felt staff training regarding meal preparation could be improved. One relative said, “We are mostly happy with the service. Some carers can’t even seem to cook simple bacon and eggs.” Important health related information, commonly known as ‘hospital passports’ were not in place in people’s care files. People and relatives told us, if they had raised any concerns, these had mainly been resolved.