A care provider has been slapped with an inadequate rating nearly a year after being put into special measures.

Collaborative Care Solutions in Burnham, situated at 46-48 High Street Burnham, was inspected on three dates in September and October by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Two months later the watchdog released its report on December 8, where safety and leadership were highlighted as inadequate and the effectiveness of the service was deemed as requiring improvement.

However, inspectors found Collaborative Care Solutions to be caring and responsive.

Collaborative Care Solutions provides supportive living services in five settings across the borough of Slough, to people with mental health conditions and associated needs, to people living with learning disabilities and autistic people.

At the time of the inspection, there were 16 people being supported by the service. 

The report begins by stating: "People were exposed to avoidable risk of harm as systems to ensure the safe and proper management of medicines were inadequate."

Plans and risk assessments were "incorrect" or contained "conflicting information".

However, positive feedback was given about staff.

"People were treated with kindness. Staff were person-centred in their approach which promoted people's privacy and dignity," the CQC said.

"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."

Relatives felt people were kept safe. Comments included: "Staff are proactive and supportive and do an outstanding job in safeguarding.

"This gives us immense relief and a sense of peace."

The service has changed management since the last inspection report published in January when the provider was based on Langley Road and was given an inadequate rating.

"The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve," the CQC said.

"At this inspection, we found the provider remained in breach of regulations.

"This service has been in Special Measures since January 27.

"Following this inspection and the inadequate rating of key questions Safe and Well Led, the service remains in Special Measures."

The previous inspection found "excessive use of control and restraint" was used toward people in the care. This has not been deemed an issue in the recent report.

During the most recent inspection, the care provider did not have a registered manager as required by the CQC due to a change in management.

Issues with staffing were also raised, with there not being a sufficient number of suitably recruited staff, as well as issues with rotas and recruitment checks.

Further issues were raised around medicine handling, records, as well as protection from abuse.

"Safeguarding was not always given sufficient priority and people were therefore not always safe and protected from avoidable harm, abuse, or neglect," the CQC said.

The provider was also using stigmatising labels such as "vulnerable" in records, which CQC said has the potential to lead to different treatments.

An action plan has now been requested from Collaborative Care Solutions on any next steps, with a series of conditions currently imposed on the care provider in which they must provide audits on medicine, staffing and people's records.

In response, Jazz Khan, registered manager at Collaborative Care Solutions said: "We will not be deregistering from the CQC and we will all strive our best to ensure we get our Good CQC Rating back.

"There is now a new management team and I am in the process of registering with the CQC.

"We have recruited some new staff, and more are in the process of joining us.

"As a Learning Organisation, we take this as a learning curve for us as an organisation and will do whatever it takes to improve our services that we would have no hesitation to recommend to our own families and friends."