TWO bosses of a care-at-home company have appeared in court after admitting providing their services illegally.
Bruno Ngondonga, sole director of Star Care Agency Limited, did not register his domiciliary care company with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
He and Cliff Lunt, who worked as the company’s manager, assured CQC bosses they were not providing personal care to vulnerable adults.
But the pair were later found to be providing domiciliary services to two people living in Hampshire over a 14 month period, without being CQC registered.
This meant that no monitoring or inspection of the service could be carried out by CQC and checks could not be made on the safety of the care provided to people using the service.
Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 it is an offence to carry out a regulated activity, such as providing personal care services, without being registered with CQC.
The pair appeared at Southampton Magistrates’ Court this week, where they were ordered to pay fines and costs totalling almost £10,000.
They had previously admitted an offence of carrying out a Health and Social Care Act regulated activity without registration at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court in January.
Mr Ngondonga, of Overton Gardens, Eastleigh, was ordered to pay a fine of £660 and £4,000 costs.
Mr Lunt, of Eastwood Road, Leigh on Sea, Essex, was ordered to pay a fine of £1,100 and £4,000 costs.
Joyce Frederick, CQC’s Deputy Chief Inspector of Registration, said: “The law requiring care agencies to register with the Care Quality Commission is there to protect people who need care in their own homes.
“That ensures that all registered providers are then subject to a system of monitoring and ongoing inspection to make sure that standards are being maintained.
“Providers of personal care services deal in private with people whose circumstances can often make them vulnerable, and who may not be able to report abuse or poor care.
“In these circumstances we will not hesitate to take further action to protect people from providers who ignore the requirements of the law.”
According to Company’s House, Star Care Agency Limited is registered to Wessex House, Upper Market Street, in Eastleigh.
Its sole director Ngondonga, has a listed address of Heinz-Burt Close in Eastleigh – the company’s address on Google.
The CQC say the company is no longer providing care services.
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