Mansfield care service improves after staff work ‘tirelessly’ – but inspectors warn more work is to be done

Jigsaw Homecare, based at Brunts Business Centre, Samuel Brunts Way, was inspected in July by healthcare watchdog the Care Quality Commission.

A report on the visit has now been made public and has moved the service up from a grade of ‘inadequate’ to ‘requires improvement’.

During a previous inspection of the service in February 2022, one person told inspectors they were left in bed for an average of 15 hours.

Inspectors rated it ‘inadequate’ after finding the service, which was supporting 124 people in their own homes at the time, had evidence of a culture which ‘significantly disregarded the needs of people’.

When the service was reinspected this July, it was caring for 99 people.

Inspectors said manager had ‘downsized’ the service to focus on making improvements.

Jayne Wagstaff, registered manager, said staff had worked tirelessly “under a shadow of the last report” to make the improvements.

The CQC’s report says management of the service had ‘significantly improved, although there were still areas to work on’. Call times to residents had also improved, although timings ‘remained inconsistent’.

One resident told the inspectors ‘the carers that come in are wonderful, punctual, never short change us on time’.

Another said: “They didn’t used to ring if running late, but now they do.”

Since the last inspection, staff had been trained in safeguarding medicines and understood their responsibilities to protect people.

However, the provider was still in breach of regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 for failing to ensure proper and safe management of risks.

There was still a lack of documented guidance for staff around people’s health conditions and identifying risks such as signs of infection.

There was also a lack of detail to guide and support staff to monitor and mitigate risks to the health and wellbeing of people using the service.

Ms Wagstaff said: “The team have worked tirelessly through the last six months under a shadow of the last report this year which had deflated the community employees, in addition to me as the manager.

“Yet we came out with positive results that have lifted us from special measures on an upward trajectory back to the ‘good’ we have boasted since 2000.

“People we support were asked numerous questions about their care and support and all the feedback reported positive. Some stated they had noticed improvements in every area and staff were feeling valued and supported.

“We are currently looking for an outcome to end this year on a positive high, having recruited additional staff to extend the team, and promoted the excellent person-centred organisation which has some terrific compassionate senior staff.

“We aim to be able to reward the team and a big part to play will be to get back to such a rating.”