Inadequate care service 'let down' residents

People supported by a care service were "let down" as standards declined sharply over recent years, inspectors found.

Bracknell-based Choice Supported Living - East was inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in August after people contacted it with safeguarding concerns.

The provider's overall rating was downgraded to inadequate from good, which it received following a previous visit in 2020.

A spokesperson for Choice Care, which operates the service, acknowledged it "could have done better in some areas" but that it has taken targeted action to ensure improvements have been made.

It provides a service delivering care to younger adults, people with learning disabilities, autistic people and others with mental health conditions, physical disabilities and sensory impairments.

The CQC found that a female member of staff was left alone to support four men, including one who had been assessed as a risk to women.

It also said a resident was left sitting in their lounge with religious music playing "very loudly" on a TV.

They had no specific religious beliefs and the inspectors said it was "therefore unclear why the person was not supported" to watch something else.

Amy Jupp, CQC's deputy director for adult social care in Berkshire, said it was "worrying to see how far standards had fallen since our last visit".

She said relatives were unclear about which workers would support their loved ones.

"People who rely on this service for their support, independence and safety were let down," she added.

She said the company had suffered from a "failure of leadership", where serious risks were overlooked.

"Staff told us they'd flagged concerns about staffing and were told nothing could be done, and relatives told us they'd stopped feeling listened to," Jupp said.

The Choice Care spokesperson said following the report, the company "commissioned on-site reviews across all locations, increased staffing where needed, and undertook targeted reviews to ensure consistency in care and support. Senior leaders have overseen this work on a daily basis."

But they also said the company has "significant concerns about the accuracy and balance of the report".

They added: "After reviewing our evidence, the CQC accepted almost two-thirds of the factual challenges we made. We remain concerned that the overall conclusions in the report do not fairly reflect the evidence and the support that was delivered across the service."

They said it was "continuing to work positively" with the CQC to "address the improvements required and share evidence of progress."