A Salford home care service that supports elderly people and those living with dementia has been told it requires improvement by a regulator.
Diamond Heart Health Care LTD in Pendlebury was inspected by The Care and Quality Commission (CQC) between July and September for the first time since its registration in 2021.
The company is a domiciliary care service which provides personal care to people living in their own homes. It provides personalised dementia support services and offers live-in care for elderly people who require around-the-clock assistance.
Diamond Heart Health Care says its mission is to help those who cannot retain their independence due to illness or injury.
But a report published on 1 December by the health and social care watchdog said the provider was not performing as well as it should and must improve in safety and leadership.
Inspectors found the care provided by the service was in breach of two regulations in relation to staffing and good governance.
According to the CQC, staff working for Diamond Heart Health Care did not always feel they could speak up about concerns and that their voice would be heard.
This created a culture where some staff didn’t see the point of ‘speaking up.’ Comments from staff included, “I feel anxious about speaking up as I don’t feel concerns are taken seriously.”
The provider, which operates from Lowry Mill offices on Lees Street, did not always manage or monitor people’s safety effectively and evidence around planned and responsive reviews of care plans to identify any change of needs was limited.
Concerns raised by staff around monitoring and handling practices were not always rectified with meaningful actions from the provider.
But the CQC commended the Pendlebury-based firm for their safeguarding practices and said Diamond Heart Health Care worked with people to understand what being safe meant to them and the best way to achieve that.
People and their relatives told the regulator they felt safe using the service. Comments included: “I feel safe with the staff, the manager would never send two new people together” and “If there’s a new person, one is always a regular.”
In addition, the organisation was graded ‘Good’ in three areas: effectiveness, responsiveness and care.
Diamond Heart Health Care treated people who used the service with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity.
It sought to ensure people were at the centre of their care and support choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.
Diamond Heart Health Care LTD has been approached for comment.
