A MAJOR Hampshire care firm let down vulnerable pensioners by repeatedly failing to turn up to provide them with essential help in their homes, the Daily Echo can reveal.

Inspectors have voiced serious concerns about problems with training, supervision and a failure to deal with complaints at Agincare UK Ltd (Southampton), which supports frail pensioners across Hampshire.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) raised major fears about levels of service provided by the firm, after talking to pensioners who complained they had been left upset when carers didn’t show for scheduled visits.

Campaigners for the elderly last night said the complaints are typical of a wider problem causing scores of elderly people to “spend their last years in misery”.

The CQC also said it was worried many staff weren’t properly trained to provide the right care, and huge problems with patient records meant workers unfamiliar with individual clients had no idea what they should be doing for them.

A manager at the branch admitted there had been “many complaints recently”, but inspectors found none had been officially recorded.

Improvements must now be made urgently or Agincare – which has the motto “caring in your community” – could face enforcement action from the CQC if inspectors carrying out follow-up inspections are not happy with the firm’s response.

The critical report comes just a fortnight after the Daily Echo reported similar condemnation of Agincare’s operation in New Milton, where inspectors alleged staff shortages were so severe a cleaner was set to look after frail elderly people.

The CQC report on Agincare Southampton said: “People told us there had been occasions when no staff had called, or only one member of staff had called, when there should have been two. One person spoken with was very distressed, telling us all the staff they knew had left.”

The report added: “All paperwork was out of date. Assessments, care plans, reviews, were not up to date. Medication records were incomplete and not filled in on appropriate paperwork.”

Carers interviewed revealed they had barely received any supervision, with one worker, who was supposed to be monitored monthly, only being watched once in a year.

In a statement, Agincare said “disruption in local staffing” caused by the loss of the manager and key staff at the same time as the introduction of a new contract with Hampshire County Council had caused problems.

But the firm said: “Agincare is totally committed to rectifying the position; there is a new manager in place and staffing has been stabilised.”