A Beckenham-based homecare agency has seen its Care Quality Commission (CQC) rating upgraded from ‘Requires Improvement’ to ‘Good’ following a recent inspection.
According to the CQC inspection – which was carried out in January this year – Elmes Homecare had made considerable improvements since its last inspection in October 2018 and was “no longer in breach of regulations”.
The latest report noted: “People and their relatives spoke positively about staff and told us they were happy with the service they received. People were protected from the risk of avoidable harm because risks were identified, assessed and managed safely by staff. Lessons were learnt from accidents and incidents, there were sufficient staff available to support people’s needs and appropriate robust recruitment practices were in place.”
The report also noted that people were “supported by staff that were kind and caring” and that they were “involved in making decisions about their care and support needs and had choice and control over their lives.”
Elmes Homecare was rated ‘Good’ across all five categories: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led.
This is in contrast with the previous 2018 inspection which found that the provider had “failed to ensure systems and processes were established and operated effectively to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the services provided” and that there was a “failure to ensure robust recruitment procedures were established and operated effectively”.
Elmes Homecare manager, Liam Hayward, told News in Beckenham: “After Elmes Homecare’s initial inspection by the CQC, we all worked extremely hard to make sure certain procedures were bettered. We invested in a training programme, where our deputy manager is now fully accredited in all mandatory training areas and the CQC required certificates.
“We continue to attract the best staff, who share Elmes Homecare’s passion for care. We have continued to push ourselves in going the ‘extra mile’ for our clients and we have received many, genuine five star reviews throughout the year and we will continue to look out for our clients, and their families, even in this most difficult time.”