Care company closed after inspection by watchdog

A domiciliary care company in Kent has been closed over safety fears following a visit by inspectors.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out the inspection on Maxi Health Care Limited, which is based in Sittingbourne, in February and March, rating it inadequate and "urgently deregistering" it.

The company, which provided support to people with complex needs in their own homes, was not managing medicines properly, not keeping proper records and staff were not fully trained, said the CQC.

Maxi Health Care Limited has been approached for comment.

Serena Coleman, CQC deputy director of operations in the south, said: "We found a failure in leadership, poor culture, and ineffective systems and processes meant people using the service weren't safe.

"Staff weren't managing medicines safely and dosage information wasn't consistent across records meaning people could receive too much or too little.

"Incident and safeguarding logs weren't kept up to date and lacked detail, meaning we couldn't be assured that appropriate action was taken in response or that leaders were helping staff to learn from incidents to help prevent them from happening again.

"Staff hadn't completed training that was relevant to their role and the people they supported. Leaders had told their funding authority this training had been carried out when it hadn't."

Ms Coleman said it was "always a last resort" to take action which resulted in a service closing, "particularly when it is an urgent closure as we understand the distress and upset this can cause".

"People using services should receive safe, effective and high-quality care that meets their needs," she added.

"Everyone using the service has been supported to find an alternative care agency to meet their needs safely."

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