Wellingborough care service still "requires improvement", says health watchdog

"Systems had been introduced to ensure staff who were non-UK citizens were entitled to work."
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A domiciliary care service based in Northamptonshire has failed to improve on its 2019 Care Quality Commission (CQC) rating and still "requires improvement" in two specific areas, the health watchdogs said.

Dunamis Social Care, in Wellingborough, which provides care to people in their own homes, was inspected in January this year for the first time since August 2019, where it was given an action plan to improve on its "safe" and "well-led" CQC criterias.

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The company has made some improvements according to the latest inspection report, but it has stayed at the "requires improvement" rating for both "safe" and "well-led".

Dunamis Social Care (Photo: Google Maps)Dunamis Social Care (Photo: Google Maps)
Dunamis Social Care (Photo: Google Maps)

To summarise the reason why "well-led" stayed at "requires improvement", the CQC said: "The service management and leadership was inconsistent. Leaders and the culture they created did not always support the delivery of high-quality, person-centred care."

In terms of the "safe" criteria, the report says there is still an "increased risk" that people could be harmed.

The report reads: "At the last inspection this key question was rated as requires improvement. At this inspection this key question has remained the same. This meant some aspects of the service were not always safe and there was limited assurance about safety. There was an increased risk that people could be harmed."

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One of the main issues at the inspection in 2019 was the service's failure in "effective recruitment", where the care company was deemed to be breaching regulations. However, the CQC has now said enough improvement has been made that the provider is no longer breaching legal requirements.

The latest CQC report reads: "Staff recruitment procedures had improved. However, we have made a recommendation that any missing information on application forms is explored with the candidate and recorded.

"Improvements to recruitment processes had been implemented. Staff health declarations were completed, and a record of staff interviews were kept. Systems had been introduced to ensure staff who were non-UK citizens were entitled to work."

Family members of the care service patients said improvements were also needed with regards to timeliness and knowing who would be providing care. A family member said: "I think I would recommend them, it would be nice to know exactly when they're supposed to be coming."

The care service still has "good" ratings for the other three CQC criterias, which are "effective", "caring" and "responsive".

Dunamis Social Care declined to comment.