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| Elderly people were harmed by care firm, report finds | Elderly people were harmed by care firm, report finds |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| A home care firm was responsible for the neglect and harm of vulnerable and elderly people in Powys, a report by a watchdog has found. | A home care firm was responsible for the neglect and harm of vulnerable and elderly people in Powys, a report by a watchdog has found. |
| Failures in the service by Reach, which took over the contract in April, led to some people being admitted to hospital. | Failures in the service by Reach, which took over the contract in April, led to some people being admitted to hospital. |
| Reach, which no longer has the contract, apologised and said it had struggled with staffing "challenges". | Reach, which no longer has the contract, apologised and said it had struggled with staffing "challenges". |
| Powys council cabinet member Darren Mayor said the authority apologises "whole heartedly" for what happened. | |
| One of the people admitted to hospital was was left on the floor after a fall because a home visit was missed. | |
| In the report by the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW), 14 breaches of care regulations in Reach's service were found. | In the report by the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW), 14 breaches of care regulations in Reach's service were found. |
| Reach started working in Powys earlier this year after a controversial decision by Powys council to end the contracts of 20 home care providers in favour of new contracts with four companies, including Newport-based Reach. | Reach started working in Powys earlier this year after a controversial decision by Powys council to end the contracts of 20 home care providers in favour of new contracts with four companies, including Newport-based Reach. |
| At the time, the authority claimed it would be simpler, deliver continuity of care and also save money. | At the time, the authority claimed it would be simpler, deliver continuity of care and also save money. |
| But it cancelled Reach's contract in September after complaints and claims it was "shambolic". | But it cancelled Reach's contract in September after complaints and claims it was "shambolic". |
| At the time, the company admitted it had had "a problematic transition process". | At the time, the company admitted it had had "a problematic transition process". |
| In the report by the watchdog, it found that between April and August, there had been 73 referrals of neglect in the care being provided by Reach made by staff at Powys council - 12 of these were jointly investigated by Dyfed-Powys Police. | In the report by the watchdog, it found that between April and August, there had been 73 referrals of neglect in the care being provided by Reach made by staff at Powys council - 12 of these were jointly investigated by Dyfed-Powys Police. |
| In addition, CSSIW received nine other examples of people being placed at risk because of poor care delivery. | In addition, CSSIW received nine other examples of people being placed at risk because of poor care delivery. |
| The findings: | The findings: |
| Examples of poor care led to two people being admitted to hospital. | Examples of poor care led to two people being admitted to hospital. |
| Another received only one out of every four scheduled visits and was left without food and medication. | Another received only one out of every four scheduled visits and was left without food and medication. |
| Bethan Evans, corporate director of Reach, offered her apologies and said people were let down, while the company was "significantly understaffed" from the outset. | Bethan Evans, corporate director of Reach, offered her apologies and said people were let down, while the company was "significantly understaffed" from the outset. |
| "Our first and biggest mistake was to under-estimate the particular challenges we would face in taking over this contract," she said. | "Our first and biggest mistake was to under-estimate the particular challenges we would face in taking over this contract," she said. |
| Ms Evans added: "We were simply unable to deliver the amount and quality of care expected of us, until we had overcome those staffing challenges." | Ms Evans added: "We were simply unable to deliver the amount and quality of care expected of us, until we had overcome those staffing challenges." |
| Reach said the service it had handed over was now performing well. | Reach said the service it had handed over was now performing well. |
| Powys cabinet member Mr Mayor, who is responsible for adult services, said the CCSIW report "makes for very difficult reading that reflects the experiences and poor quality of service that some service users received in the north of Powys". | |
| He added: "We deeply regret that service users did not receive the highest quality of care that they deserve." | |
| Powys council said it would "take every opportunity to learn for the future to ensure that the highest possible service delivery is maintained". | Powys council said it would "take every opportunity to learn for the future to ensure that the highest possible service delivery is maintained". |