A Swindon homecare provider is “extremely understaffed” and its safety requires improvement, according to its latest inspection.

Lifeways Community Care is a national organisation, with its Swindon office providing care to people with learning disabilities around Swindon and Gloucestershire.

Its latest Care Quality Commission report, published on Wednesday, July 31, found it lacking overall, requiring improvement in safety and leadership.

One staff member said: “I feel the level of staffing can be very dangerous sometimes when low."

Another added: "We are extremely understaffed! Lifeways expects you to be picking up overtime as they will not get agency to come and cover these shifts. 

“The weekends and lates are the hardest, they won’t get these covered leaving us either to move shifts around and to be covered by the staff or to run short.”

Lack of staff is reflected in the low availability of managers, with the category “capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders” receiving the lowest score in the whole report, meaning it shows “significant shortfalls”.

One worker told the Commission: “I do not believe we have enough managers to go around, we hardly see a manager as they are always here, there and everywhere. 

“I believe they are under just as much pressure as we are, but the higher management are not helping one bit. 

“I don’t find you get much support from the managers due to this.”

The observed lack of staff meant that some service users “received very little engagement from staff” despite requiring one-on-one support at all times.

The report says: “There was one occasion where a person told a staff member they were in pain, and we saw this was verbally responded to, but no was action taken to reduce this person’s pain.”

“One person was in their bedroom calling out and we observed staff did not check on this person. 

The service did not score above two out of four in any of the safety measures. Two means the service shows “some shortfalls”.

A Lifeways spokesperson said: "The safety and well-being of the people we support is always our top priority and we took immediate action six months ago, when this inspection took place, to address the concerns raised by inspectors.

“For example, staff rostering was immediately tackled to ensure all support hours are fully met and we ensured additional management was put in place.

“It was pleasing that inspectors recognised our service as effective, caring and responsive and, because of our swift action and commitment to quality, we are confident of a much improved rating across the board at the next inspection.”