A COUNCIL run respite unit and in-home care service has been told to improve after staff refused to help a client buy pork pies and stopped them having bacon sandwiches for breakfast.

A new report by inspectors, who visited Wagtail Close in Buttershaw unannounced in January, found the actions of some staff were restricting people's right of choice and not everyone was getting food that met their personal preferences.

Examples included one patient who liked to have a bacon sandwich for breakfast each day and bought ham, sausages and pork pies when they went shopping, but said a number of staff would not support them to buy or cook those products because of their cultural requirements or lifestyle preferences.

"This meant that staff were not providing support that was responsive to the person's preferences and were restricting the person's right to choice. The person said they had raised their concern with senior staff members but nothing had been done about it," said the report.

Wagtail Close has a respite care facility and is home to people living with physical disabilities, sensory loss, brain injury or learning disabilities. At the time of the inspection the service was providing respite care to just one person with 24 people living in its homes on the Close.

Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors also found staff training was not up to date and there was no system in place to overview accidents and keep check for any themes or trends.

Only two staff members in the previous year had been trained in medicine management and 21 of them had no training at all which meant they were not assessed to be competent enough to give out medication.

The inspectors also looked at accident forms and found there were not any follow-ups, neither was there any space on the forms for the manager to sign to say they had seen it.

Complaints about the service were not being well-managed and accidents as well as complaints were also not being audited effectively, the report added.

Despite inspectors finding the service needed to make improvement in a total of three areas covering safety, effectiveness and how it is led, people did tell inspectors they felt safe and that staff were good.

People in the supported living facilities at Wagtail Close also told inspectors staff were prompt to arrive to give them home help and always stayed for the time planned.

A person using the respite facility also said staff were always available if needed and responded quickly to the call bell.

The inspectors also reported staff were aware of infection control procedures and the respite unit was clean.

A Bradford Council Adult and Community Services spokesman said: "There has recently been a change in the registered management arrangements at Wagtail. We are pleased to read that people who used both respite and domiciliary care services knew the new manager and felt they were supportive of their care. 

"An improvement plan has been drawn up which will urgently address the issues raised by the recent CQC inspection. 

"All Wagtail Close care staff have been reminded that their own lifestyles and cultural preferences should never influence the person-centred support they provide to service users."