SOCIAL care bosses have stopped new referrals to an Oxford home care company criticised in “shocking” findings from inspectors.

Oxfordshire County Council made the decision about Cowley-based Caremark (Oxford) over issues “detected by the council’s own monitoring procedures”.

A June Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection demanded action in all eight areas inspected, including abuse concerns and staffing.

The firm is registered to care for people including OAPs, the disabled, dementia sufferers and people with learning disabilities.

Council spokesman Marcus Mabberley said: “We will not be referring new county council-funded clients to Caremark (Oxford) until we are satisfied that the required improvements have been implemented.”

He said “the council has supported the provider to help them improve their practice, which Caremark (Oxford) has done”. It has 34 of the firm’s 47 clients in its care.

The CQC said one user was found in a wet bed because of catheter equipment problems but the two had not been linked by staff.

In some records “staff had written in a manner that could cause offence” which had been crossed out for “more appropriate” words.

Another did not have an evening meal until bedtime because their evening visit came early, but was recorded as “nothing needed”.

Staffing shortfalls were not always covered as the Isis Business Centre, Pony Road, firm did not use agency staff, leaving it “struggling to fill the rota”.

It said “nearly all” visits were early or late because of shift changes with one client getting their medication late and another getting lunch three hours late.

Some staff “had become used to the culture of poor timing” and there was an “unreliable culture that made it hard to recruit”.

One said: “We are on zero-hour contracts and only paid per visit, so why would staff want to commit to more.”

Safeguarding alerts were managed but missed visits were not recorded as a “neglectful act” in line with procedure, putting people at risk of abuse.

The report cited one manager saying: “Things sometimes get missed and you are relying on people doing things that they say they have done.”

And it said there was no evidence of lessons being learned.

The CQC said it spoke to 16 users, and most felt very happy with their care.

Oxford East Labour MP Andrew Smith the “shocking and very worrying” findings” show “the harm which zero-hours contracts can cause”.

He said: “Caremark clearly needs to put its house in order fast.”

A spokesman for the West Sussex-based firm said it has “already addressed many of these issues as part the ongoing commitment to improve care standards”.

It is arranging a re-inspection in mid to late next month and expected a much more positive outcome.

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