# Sagecare (Lincoln)

*Operated by Sage Care Limited.*

Sagecare (Lincoln) is a CQC-regulated home-care agency in Lincoln.

## CQC Ratings

| Key question | Rating |
| --- | --- |
| Overall | Requires improvement |
| Safe | Requires improvement |
| Effective | Good |
| Caring | Requires improvement |
| Responsive | Good |
| Well-led | Requires improvement |

Rating published: 23/06/2023

## Practical info

- Postcode: LN5 7JN
- Registered manager: Jones, Caroline
- Local authority: Lincolnshire
- Region: East Midlands
- City: Lincoln
- Last CQC check: 23/Jun/2023 - 00:00

## Inspection findings

### Other

- Finding
  - Evidence: The provider introduced a new quarterly people survey system to better capture service users' views.
  - Published: 2023-06-23
- Finding
  - Evidence: Staff DBS checks were up to date.
  - Published: 2023-06-23
- Finding
  - Evidence: The registered manager contacted people and relatives to apologise when things went wrong.
  - Published: 2023-06-23
- Finding
  - Evidence: The provider worked closely with other agencies including district nurses, families, day centres and the local authority.
  - Published: 2023-06-23
- Finding
  - Evidence: A time-critical medicines audit supported people to receive medicines at the right time of day.
  - Published: 2023-06-23
- Finding
  - Evidence: Some evidence of lessons learned following incidents such as medicine errors.
  - Published: 2023-06-23
- Finding
  - Evidence: People and relatives told us they felt safe using the service; one person said 'I do feel safe with them, they know what they are doing.'
  - Published: 2023-06-23
- **safeguarding** _(minor)_
  - Evidence: Some staff were not always aware of provider whistleblowing procedures.
  - Published: 2023-06-23
- **infection_control** _(minor)_
  - Evidence: People told us some staff did not always wear appropriate person protective equipment (PPE).
  - Published: 2023-06-23
- **communication_with_families** _(minor)_
  - Evidence: I don't mind if the time varies, but they need to tell me. Mostly they don't, and I have to ring up to find out.
  - Published: 2023-06-23
- **person_centred_care** _(moderate)_
  - Evidence: Issues with staffing pressures and deployment impacted on the service's ability to provide person-centred care.
  - Published: 2023-06-23
- **care_planning** _(moderate)_
  - Evidence: Staff failed to document relevant information to help manage risk... staff had recorded on several occasions that this had been completed by others, with no further information.
  - Published: 2023-06-23
- **record_keeping** _(moderate)_
  - Evidence: People's care plans and risk assessments were not updated following changes to people's care and contained outdated information about risks to people.
  - Published: 2023-06-23
- **governance** _(critical)_
  - Evidence: Provider systems were ineffective in driving improvement to enable them to achieve a good rating. This was the fourth consecutive inspection where the service was rated requires improvement.
  - Published: 2023-06-23
- **governance** _(critical)_
  - Evidence: Audits delegated by the registered manager, such as care audits and medicines reviews, failed to identify issues with care records.
  - Published: 2023-06-23
- **staffing_levels** _(moderate)_
  - Evidence: [Sagecare] are changing 40-minute care calls into 20-minute care calls or no care call at all. The poor carer doesn't know what's going on.
  - Published: 2023-06-23
- **staffing_levels** _(critical)_
  - Evidence: '[Sagecare] say to me We've got nobody to come at a weekend... [my other support] can't do personal care or my pills and that's what I need.'
  - Published: 2023-06-23
- **incident_learning** _(critical)_
  - Evidence: Despite this known risk, there was no information to inform staff to encourage this person to use their lap belt to reduce the risk of re-occurrence.
  - Published: 2023-06-23
- **medication_management** _(critical)_
  - Evidence: Staff had recorded this patch had been changed on medicine administration records (MARs), but then recorded in care notes that this patch would be changed at a later care call.
  - Published: 2023-06-23
- **medication_management** _(critical)_
  - Evidence: People did not have protocols in place for 'as needed' (PRN) medicines and this was not in line with best practice.
  - Published: 2023-06-23

### safe

- Finding
  - Staffing and recruitment
  - Published: 2023-06-23
- Finding
  - Assessing risk, safety monitoring and management; Learning lessons when things go wrong
  - Published: 2023-06-23
- Finding
  - Using medicines safely
  - Published: 2023-06-23

### well_led

- Finding
  - How the provider understands and acts on the duty of candour; Working in partnership with others
  - Published: 2023-06-23
- Finding
  - Promoting a positive culture that is person-centred, open, inclusive and empowering
  - Published: 2023-06-23
- Finding
  - Managers and staff being clear about their roles, understanding quality performance, risks and regulatory requirements; Continuous learning and improving care
  - Published: 2023-06-23

## Source

Data published by the [Care Quality Commission](https://www.cqc.org.uk/) under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Canonical page: https://homecarecompass.co.uk/agency/1-2929698375

HomeCare Compass is an independent guide and is not affiliated with the CQC.