Alarm at failure to inspect 60% of England homecare providers in four years or longer

Care leaders have warned of a serious safety risk as research revealed 60% of homecare providers had not been inspected for at least four years, or ever.

As the government prepares to receive a report on profound failings at its Care Quality Commission (CQC) that triggered the chief executive’s removal this summer and a public apology, the Homecare Association warned 37% of providers of domiciliary care services had not been rated for at least four years and 23% had never been rated.

Inspectors are supposed to check staff are caring, properly trained and not harming the vulnerable people they look after.

Dr Jane Townson, the chief executive of the Homecare Association, whose members look after about 800,000 people in England in their own homes, said: “Insufficient inspections are jeopardising service quality, safety and public confidence.

“The state of homecare regulation in England is like a ship taking on water, with a crew using buckets instead of pumps to bail it out. People relying on care services are at risk of being left adrift.”

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Source: The Guardian, 30 August 2024