A care agency has been given a poor rating by inspectors.

GUTU, based in Chatham, cares for adults with learning disabilities, mental health needs and physical disabilities within their own homes.

The company was rated "requires improvement" following an inspection in January by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of all health and social care services in England.

The provider, run by Time 4 U Ltd, cares for people living in 14 supported living accommodation centres in Medway, elsewhere in Kent, and Milton Keynes.

GUTU was told it "requires improvement" in three out of five areas inspected. For the categories of effectiveness and caring, it was rated "good".

Inspectors looked at the provider's delivery of personal care and found risks to people were not always identified. There was also no clear plan on what actions had to be taken following accidents or incidents.

The CQC also found some incidents were not reported to them, as required.

They also found one person had not received all the medicines they needed, and there had been discrepancies in the records of financial transactions which were reported by staff.

The report reads: "The provider had effective safeguarding systems in place to protect people from the risk of abuse.

"Staff had confidence in the management team and provider to appropriately deal with concerns.

"Although support plans and guidance were in place to describe the basic care and support people needed, they did not always include important information individual to the person.

"For example, one person was dairy intolerant and their support guidance regarding food did not list this.

"This put the person at risk of harm. This is an area for improvement."

Relatives of clients felt positive about the service and staff were found to have been recruited in a safe way to ensure they were suitable to work with people.

The needs of new residents were assessed well and people "were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests."

The CQC said it would require GUTU to produce an action plan, and would be returning to carry out pre-inspection checks.

Care providers are inspected at least once a year.

Time 4 U Ltd declined to comment.

You can read the full report on the CQC's website.

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