A CARE agency has been rated 'inadequate' after inspectors found that it did not complete robust investigations into allegations of abuse and medicines were not managed safely.

Infinity Care Limited, in Focus Way, Andover, was visited by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in April and May.

A report published on Tuesday, October 31 said the service, which provides personal care to people in their own homes, is ‘inadequate’ and was also told it was in breach of regulations.

Inspectors visited because of concerns about safeguarding, management, reporting of incidents, handling of complaints and whether it was supporting people in line with the Mental Capacity Act.

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The CQC said: “The provider did not have effective systems and processes in place to ensure people were protected from the risk of abuse and improper treatment.

“The provider did not complete robust investigations into allegations of abuse or identify potential abuse and improper treatment. However, people and relatives told us they felt safe with staff.

“Medicines were not managed safely. The provider did not identify learning or areas for improvement when things went wrong, to reduce the risk of future incidents.”

Inspectors found that Infinity "did not always identify risks to people’s health and safety" leading to a risk of "avoidable harm".

The CQC also raised concerns about policies which did not "reflect current legislation or best practice" with the provider not understanding regulatory requirements and relevant legislation.

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Inspectors did receive good feedback from people who Inifinity cares for and relatives about staff and management, with relatives calling the office staff ‘excellent’ and care staff a "lovely group of girls who really help me so much".

One staff member commented: "She [the registered manager] is such a lovely, caring person."

While another said: "They [the management team] are so supportive… also I feel valued here; they really do listen to us." 

According to the report, the provider had failed to notify the CQC of significant events, such as allegations of abuse and serious injuries.

The CQC will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress and will keep the service under review, adding: "If we do not propose to cancel the provider's registration, re-inspect within six months to check for significant improvements."

The categories safe and well-led were rated ‘inadequate’ whilst the effective category was rated ‘requires improvement’.

A spokesperson for Infinity Care has said: “We are working 24/7 to get everything put right that needs putting right.”