A care agency has been given the worst possible rating after inspectors found clients were”not protected from harm”. 

The Havelock Hub in Harrow, was rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following an inspection from June to July. In particular, the safety, effectiveness and leadership of the service were criticised.

The agency, run by Mathalie Care Services Limited, provides personal care to those in need in their own households. The CQC said, in the report, that “people were not safe and were at risk of avoidable harm”.

Staffing issues were said to have contributed to the lack of safety in care. The report said: “People were not protected from harm because the provider did not carry out robust staff recruitment and selection processes that helped ensure only suitable staff were employed to provide people with care and support.” Staff were also rarely supervised and given no formal training before working.

Upon review, the watchdog found that there was no record of any of the agency’s staff members being interviewed. It was also stated that no assessment was done to determine whether staff could administer medicines safely. This was in contrast to the provider’s policy which stated staff would only administer medicine “after training has been given, and the staff member is assessed as competent”.

Detail was also lacking in care plans and risk assessments, with no handling plan for a person with limited mobility. Instructions for managing high risks for the individual such as bath and shower use simply included: “Keep in the sling and make sure [person] is safe”.

Other individuals who were at risk of seizures and choking also had no care plans in place, with staff having no guidance on what to do in the case of an incident. A relative of one individual stated they were unsure if special training had been given to their family member’s care worker. 

Despite criticisms, relatives of those in care were satisfied with the staff, with one family member saying the service was “flexible” and staff were “on time”. Staff also had no records of completing safeguarding training, but showed some understanding when questioned by the inspectors.

In response to the report, Ms Kairul Kareema Marikar, manager of Mathalie Care Services Limited, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “A consultant is looking at the necessary resources to sort out the company, I am trying to do everything properly with the consultants.”

Regarding staff not being adequately trained, she said: “I think more support and practical training should be free for care training, because it’s a lot of money. I am a registered manager for care courses, but the CQC wants practical training. The consultant has taken over to help me do a twist over the next six months.”

The Havelock Hub was providing care to three people at the time of the inspection. This was the first inspection for the agency, with the latest rating placing them into special measures. An action plan has been requested by the CQC from Mathalie Care Services Limited, and a reinspection will occur within six months to check for improvements.