Spring Healthcare Limited in Bolton rated 'inadequate' by CQC again

Watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated Spring Healthcare Ltd "inadequate" for the second time, following visits on days in February and March.

The report stated that medicines by the Bark Street-based provider - which offers personal care to people living in the community - were “not managed safely” and that the inspector found “inconsistencies across people’s medicine records”.

The inspection was carried out in response to action the provider was asked to take following the last review in 2022.

The service has been in "special measures" since November 25, 2022 and remains in that state after being ranked "inadequate" in two out of five areas it was inspected on- its safety and leadership.

The provider's effectiveness, responsiveness and whether it is caring scored "requires improvement".

The CQC said that although the provider had introduced two new systems, this had caused inconsistencies when it came to the information recorded on the systems.

It said: “People's care was not always safe.

“Medicines were not managed safely, and we found inconsistencies across people's medicine records.

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“This had been identified during our last inspection and the provider had introduced two new systems; however, this had caused inconsistencies with the information recorded in each system.”

The report did highlight that people “generally received support in line with their assessed needs”, and that assessments of people’s needs had improved since the last inspection, but that some care plans “lacked specific detail”.

The director of Spring Healthcare Limited Tendai Shangare, says that the company “has recognised the need for improvement and has implemented significant changes to enhance the quality of their services”.

The report also said that staff supported people to achieve their goals, take part in chosen activities and pursue interests where staffing levels allowed, but it also said that the provider “did not always place people's wishes, needs and rights at the heart of everything”.

It said: “The provider did not always place people's wishes, needs and rights at the heart of everything they did.

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“The provider failed to ensure governance systems promoted, monitored, and maintained quality care for all people.

“Staff did not always receive training in key areas before commencing employment.

“Other mandatory training courses had not always been completed before staff started to work with people.

“The provider had revised their policies since our last inspection; however, some policies did not ensure staff would be trained before starting to work with vulnerable people.”

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The report says that the provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and when they would improve, but at the last inspection they found the provider remained in breach of regulations.

The report says that the service will be kept under review and, if the CQC do not propose to cancel the provider's registration, they will re-inspect within six months to check for significant improvements.

It said: “If the provider has not made enough improvement within this timeframe and there is still a rating of inadequate for any key question or overall rating, we will take action in line with our enforcement procedures.

“This will mean we will begin the process of preventing the provider from operating this service.

“This will usually lead to cancellation of their registration or to varying the conditions the registration.”

Here is the full statement from the care provider in relation to the report: 

“Despite having put in place the necessary systems and processes to address the issues highlighted in the previous report, the recent inspection revealed that these measures were not being effectively utilized.

“The CQC inspection raised concerns about several areas, including medication management, complaints handling, and safeguarding management.

“To address these shortcomings, Spring Healthcare Limited is currently in the process of overhauling its management structure.

“A key step in this restructuring effort is the appointment of a new nominated individual, Mona, who brings with her valuable experience in running a domiciliary care service.

“Her expertise and commitment to providing high-quality care will play a crucial role in driving positive change within the organisation.

"Furthermore, Spring Healthcare Ltd has recruited a new registered manager, Zena, who is currently undergoing induction and training while awaiting official confirmation and registration of her Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check with the CQC.

“Zena brings a wealth of experience from her extensive work in the healthcare industry, particularly in managing domiciliary care services.

“In her previous role, Zena successfully led the registration process with the CQC, achieving a good rating for her company.

“With her Level 5 qualification in Health and Social Care Leadership and Management, Zena is well-equipped to contribute to the improvement of service quality at Spring Healthcare Limited.

“The management team at Spring Healthcare Limited is fully committed to implementing the necessary measures to address the concerns highlighted by the CQC.

“They are actively working to ensure that the systems and processes in place are effectively utilized to provide safe and person-centred care to all service users.

“Spring Healthcare Limited acknowledges the gravity of the situation and is determined to make significant improvements to regain the trust and confidence of the community.

“The company is focused on learning from this experience and implementing robust quality management practices to deliver exceptional care services.

“Spring Healthcare Limited remains committed to working closely with the CQC and other relevant stakeholders to monitor progress and ensure ongoing compliance with regulatory standards.

“The company is confident that the changes being implemented will result in a notable improvement in service quality and ultimately lead to a higher rating in the future.”

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