IMPROVEMENT is needed at a service which provides personal care to older people in their homes, a Care Quality Commission (CQC) report has revealed.

Priority Home Care, based in Wimborne which looks after 30 people, requires improvement in the three areas of being safe, responsive and well-led but was rated good for being effective and caring following an inspection in June.

Inspectors found people were ‘at risk because medicines were not always administered safely or recorded accurately.’

The report said people were at risk of not having their topical creams administered safely which meant they were not being protected from the risk of deteriorating skin or health conditions.

Care workers had been administering a medicine prescribed ‘not to be taken with alcohol’ but they had given the person an alcoholic drink on two occasions.

Inspectors also criticised the care and support plans which did not contain enough information to support care workers in their roles and the action they needed to take to protect people from harm such as those with dementia, poor eating habits, risk of choking and pressure care.

Auditing systems and processes were not in place to assess, monitor and ensure effective management.

“This meant that risks in relation to medicine administration and the care and welfare of people

had not been identified,” the report added.

However there was praise for the ‘positive caring relationships between people, their families and staff’ with staff having a ‘good understanding of people’s likes and interests and family and friends important to them.’

One person said: ‘They become part of our family after a while. You get to know them.’

Inspectors noted: “We observed a caring, friendly and relaxed relationship between people and the care workers.”

People felt involved in decisions about their care as well as having their privacy, dignity and independence respected.

Staff also spoke positively about the organisation.