A care provider has been told to improve after an inspection which was sparked by the death of someone using the service.

Prestige Care and Support - a homecare service based in Brentwood Road, Romford which supports over 65s and those with disabilities across Havering and Barking and Dagenham - has been graded as 'requires improvement' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after its latest inspection.

This inspection revealed that "robust safeguarding systems were not in place" and that staff had "not completed key training" to "effectively" care for the 73 people using the service.

CQC carried out the inspection in August after an incident following which a service user died. 

The circumstances of the client's death are still being investigated further by the care watchdog, the authorities and the coroner. 

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A CQC spokesperson said: "Following our inspection of Prestige Care and Support Ltd, we are still looking into the very sad death of someone using this homecare service, to decide whether there is further regulatory action that falls into CQC’s regulation, that needs to be taken.

"We received assurances during our inspection that people in similar circumstances are now being kept safe following changes to the service’s management of risks and we’ll continue to monitor this to make sure this is the case."

Information shared with the care watchdog about the incident indicated "potential concerns about the management of risk of choking" - something which was looked into during the inspection.

The service offers at-home care across Havering and Barking & Dagenham, but their main office is in Brentwood Road, RomfordThe service offers at-home care across Havering and Barking and Dagenham, but its main office is in Brentwood Road, Romford (Image: Google Maps)

The 'safe' section of the inspection report, which the service was rated as 'requires improvement' for, details several examples of systems and processes not being in place to minimise the risk of choking.

According to the CQC, systems were not in place to learn from incidents involving eating and drinking.

Inspectors found "shortfalls" in risk assessments around supporting people with meals, and that assessments had "not been carried out" at all to check if people were at risk of choking, how food should be prepared and the position people should be supported with when eating and drinking. 

The report, published earlier this month, mentions more than one "incident" that the CQC was notified about by relatives, including one where staff "did not follow safe processes to ensure the person was safe".

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One relative told the CQC: "I have raised some concerns about not having some of the carers as they don’t really do what they are supposed to."

Another added: "I feel that the service has poor standards when they employ staff, and I don’t feel that they get enough training before they come to look after people."

Prestige told this paper it is "very disappointed" with the report.

A spokesperson said: "Prestige Care and our team of dedicated and fully qualified carers continue to always be driven to deliver the highest quality of care.

"We are always striving for ongoing improvement and excellence in the care that is delivered and continue to engage with the Care Quality Commission about the contents of the report."

They added that the team is "saddened" by the death of one of their clients, but that it would be "inappropriate to comment further" while the investigation is ongoing. 

The Met Police and the East London's Coroner's Court were also contaced for comment.