The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has told Barnet Supported Living Services in Barnet in London, it must make improvements or face further enforcement action.

Published: 3 March 2015 Page last updated: 12 May 2022
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During an unannounced inspection in August 2014, inspectors found that they were failing to provide care which was safe, effective, responsive or well led.

A full report of this inspection has been published on the CQC website this week.

Under CQC’s new programme of inspections, all adult social care services are being given a rating to help people choose care. Overall, Barnet Supported Living Services has been rated as Inadequate.

Inspectors identified a number of areas in which improvements were required, including:

  • Issues found around how some medicines were stored and recorded and infection control related to personal care.
  • Staff did not understand the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and had not received training to support people who lacked capacity to make decisions.
  • Although complaints where investigated and responded to by the manager, relatives told inspectors that the complaints procedure had never been explained to them.
  • Staff had received training in medicine, food hygiene and understanding people’s physical health such as epilepsy. However, they did not put this training into practice.
  • People who used the service and their relatives told inspectors that they had concerns about the low numbers of staff.
  • People said that their needs were sometimes not met as they could not attend activities they enjoyed.
  • Care plans where not always personalised or written in a way that people could access, such as using pictures for people who were unable to read.
  • Audits had not picked up issues that were observed on the inspection, such as missed medicines and lack of equipment to prevent the spread of infection.

Sally Warren, Deputy Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care in London said:

“People told us that most staff were kind and caring however others were not and staff did not have the skills or understanding to care for people who had different needs effectively.

"It is unacceptable that people being cared for by Barnet Supported Living were not receiving care which was safe, effective, responsive to their needs or well led, although we noted that some staff were caring.

“We will return in due course to check whether the required improvements have been made – and will take further action if they have not.”

Ends

For further information please contact CQC Regional Communications Officer James Hedges on 0207 448 0868. Alternatively, the CQC press office can be contacted on 0207 448 9401 or out of hours on 07789 876508.

It is unacceptable that people being cared for by Barnet Supported Living were not receiving care which was safe, effective, responsive to their needs or well led, although we noted that some staff were caring.

Sally Warren, Deputy Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care in London

About the Care Quality Commission

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care in England.

We make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and we encourage care services to improve.

We monitor, inspect and regulate services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety and we publish what we find to help people choose care.