13.12.2013
Bramley House Extended Care provides services for old and vulnerable people that wish to be looked after in their own home as opposed to a residential facility, but inspectors found a number of factors were lacking.
On an unannounced investigation it was found that there was no system in place to allow managers to monitor the quality of service provided to people paying for Bramley House's services.
It was also discovered that there was not enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff on hand to meet the needs of patients and although improvements in this regard had been noticed since a previous inspection, there were still shortfalls.
This is a problem for care companies throughout the country as the number of social workers on hand for private sector firms to hire is substantially lower than the level of demand.
But care providers have an obligation by law to ensure patients are being properly cared for and the CQC has ordered Bramley House to improve its staffing numbers as soon as possible so it can more effectively deal with the issues faced by its elderly clientele.
A statement from the CQC also revealed another issue: "None of the people we spoke with knew about the agency's out of hours emergency contact system, although one had the number of their home carer.
"One person said they would look in the folder but this may not have had the up to date interim measures in place."
A lack of proper out of hours emergency care is troubling and could potentially have put the health and safety of clients at risk - especially due to the vulnerable nature of many people using the service.
The CQC has now asked managers at Bramley House to provide it with a report outlining how it will improve by December 19th and if this is not to the accepted standards, enforcement action may be taken.
The Care Firm In Surrey Has Failed In A Number Of Categories
A care firm in Surrey has been criticised by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for failing to properly implement the basic standards of service expected.Bramley House Extended Care provides services for old and vulnerable people that wish to be looked after in their own home as opposed to a residential facility, but inspectors found a number of factors were lacking.
On an unannounced investigation it was found that there was no system in place to allow managers to monitor the quality of service provided to people paying for Bramley House's services.
It was also discovered that there was not enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff on hand to meet the needs of patients and although improvements in this regard had been noticed since a previous inspection, there were still shortfalls.
This is a problem for care companies throughout the country as the number of social workers on hand for private sector firms to hire is substantially lower than the level of demand.
But care providers have an obligation by law to ensure patients are being properly cared for and the CQC has ordered Bramley House to improve its staffing numbers as soon as possible so it can more effectively deal with the issues faced by its elderly clientele.
A statement from the CQC also revealed another issue: "None of the people we spoke with knew about the agency's out of hours emergency contact system, although one had the number of their home carer.
"One person said they would look in the folder but this may not have had the up to date interim measures in place."
A lack of proper out of hours emergency care is troubling and could potentially have put the health and safety of clients at risk - especially due to the vulnerable nature of many people using the service.
The CQC has now asked managers at Bramley House to provide it with a report outlining how it will improve by December 19th and if this is not to the accepted standards, enforcement action may be taken.
Expert Opinion
The findings of the CQC investigation into standards at Bramley House are deeply concerning and urgent action must be taken by the care service provider to make vast improvements. <br/> <br/>“Safe levels of care are dependent on organisations having enough qualified and skilled members of staff available to help with all of its patients needs. When this resource isn’t available it obviously compromises patient safety. <br/> <br/>“Sadly, we continue to be contacted by family members whose loved ones have received substandard care despite paying significant amounts for specialist services. <br/> <br/>“The industry must look at how it can improve resource and standards to ensure every patient is given the care and treatment to which they are entitled and it is given with respect and compassion.” <br/> Julie Lewis - Partner
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