A BRADFORD care agency once rated ‘inadequate’ is on the road to improvement and has been moved out of special measures.

Justintime Healthcare, which has its office on North Parade, provides care to people living in their own home. 

The agency was placed into special measures in 2019 and concerns remained after another inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in July last year. 

A report from that visit said: “Recruitment practices remained unsafe, and we found the provider was still not following a robust process to ensure people were safeguarded from abuse.

“There was a lack of evidence to show how improvement had been planned and monitored, and the provider remained in breach of regulations.”

However, CQC inspectors visited the agency again on two dates in January this year and found improvements had been made. 

The report said people received safe care and support, with systems for assessing and managing risk “robust”. Inspectors said staff knew how to safeguard people.

It added: “New and emerging risks including the effects of Covid-19 had been assessed. Systems for the recruitment of new staff had been improved and were safe.

“Improvements had been made to the systems for managing medicines and regular auditing meant these systems remained safe.

“Clear processes were in place to prevent and control infection. The provider had been proactive in following Government and local guidance in relation to managing the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Staffing was well organised and appropriate to the needs of people using the service. Staff received the training and support they needed to care for and support people safely and effectively.”

The report also said people were “supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives”.

It said: “Staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests.”

Inspectors said people were treated with “kindness and consideration” and care was delivered in a way which met people’s dignity and independence needs.

“Complaints about the service were managed effectively. Systems were in place for learning lessons when something went wrong,” said the report.

“People, and their relatives, were unanimous in their feedback in relation to the improvements made at the service.”

The overall rating is ‘requires improvement’ and the safe and well-led categories also received this rating. The CQC said the service was safe and well-led, but it needed to show this could be sustained. The effective, caring and responsive categories were rated as ‘good’. 

A spokesperson for Justintime Healthcare said: “We are very pleased with the inspection report which acknowledged the  widespread improvement made by the service. Our priority lies in the safety and wellbeing of our clients which continue to take priority in all our dealings.

"We believe the service should be rated ‘good’ to reflect the content of the inspection report as well as the significant improvement made in all the key line of enquiries. Meanwhile, we are still engaging with the CQC to have the service rated to ‘good’.”