A CARE service has been slammed after reports that bosses did not allow staff to self-isolate after they began to show Covid symptoms. 

Yowsun Care, based in Shoebury, has now been rated inadequate and placed into special measures by the Care Quality Commission, with issues highlighted including Covid compliance, staff training and risk assessments. 

The service - which provides care at home to patients who have been discharged from hospital - was contacted multiple times by the Echo, but failed to respond. 

The new inspection report, published on Thursday, revealed the service failed to consider the potential risk of infection posed to staff when dealing with Covid-19 patients.

It read: “Before the inspection, we received information of concern indicating that the registered provider was not allowing staff to self-isolate when they were showing Covid-19 symptoms. 

“We found the registered provider had failed to carry out individual risk assessments on staff who were supporting people who had tested Covid-19 positive. 

“This meant that the registered provider had not consider their duty of care and had not assessed the potential risk of infection posed to staff. They had not considered ways those risks could be reduced.”

Staff also told inspectors that they had been left with no option but to re-use personal protective equipment. 

Speaking to an inspector, a member of staff said: “I remember that if we saw the same Covid patient we were told to reuse the PPE. When we refused, we were told we were not allowed to refuse to reuse the same equipment. Many of us raised this as a concern.

“The registered manager said we were not allowed to refuse unless we had a letter from the NHS. We had no choice.”

Bosses also say the service did not have adequate control measures in place to reduce the spread of infection and that not all staff had been given training to administer people’s medicine.

While some staff had been given infection prevention control training and others had not, no staff had been provided with Covid-19 training. 

However, after the inspection the registered manager assured the CQC this had been booked.

Some staff had reported issues of bullying and discrimination. One staff member said: “I am getting harassed, bullied and humiliated by two members of staff. 

“I reported this to the registered manager, but they have not taken it seriously.”

And during their December inspection of the service, it was found the registered manager did not have systems in place to monitor when a late or missed visit had occurred.

The provider was rated inadequate for how safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led the service is.