'Inadequate' care service placed in special measures

A care provider in Leicester has been placed in special measures after inspectors rated it "inadequate" overall.

Jewel Home Care (JHC), based in Hinckley Road, Leicester, was found to have "significant shortfalls in how the service was managed", putting people at increased risk of harm, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found.

The inspection, prompted by stakeholder concerns, placed "urgent conditions" on the provider, in a report published this month.

JHC, which provides personal care to people in their own homes, has been approached for comment by the BBC.

JHC has been placed in breach of the legal regulation relating to safe care and treatment and good governance, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The CQC said in the report the purpose of special measures was to ensure that services providing inadequate care made significant improvements.

During the inspection carried out last November, inspectors were told one staff member had been dismissed prior to the visit "due to safeguarding concerns" but was still attending care visits at people's houses.

When this was raised with the manager, inspectors were told: "The rotas were created in error".

Issues were noted with risk assessments and care plans, while feedback from relatives was negative.

A relative of one client told inspectors that staff "very rarely change the bed when it's been soiled", while another told them workers don't leave their family member's walking stick within reach, putting them at risk of falls..

One client with dementia was left to take their own tablet with lunch, meaning they could not "reliably remember to take the tablet".

Inspectors added the manager "was unable to demonstrate they had good oversight", and said: "Concerns were raised over the inconsistency of care staff being sent to people's homes, a lack of faith in the abilities of the care staff, and difficulty in communicating with the office regarding changes."

The CQC said it had imposed "urgent conditions" on the service for "failing to deliver safe care and treatment, failing to recruit staff safely, and failing to maintain effective oversight and governance".

Listen to BBC Radio Leicester on Sounds and follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.