A care agency where staff worked 12-hour back-to-back shifts and patients were filmed in bedrooms without permission has been placed in special measures by the health watchdog.

Bright Brains Global Limited, based in Silverweed Road, Chatham, has been rated “inadequate” following a visit by inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The home care and supported living service in Walderslade looks after patients who are older, or have autism or learning disabilities. Some also have physical disabilities and a mental health diagnosis.

During an assessment between April 29 and May 12, inspectors found eight regulation breaches, including failures to provide person-centred care, treat people with dignity, assess capacity to consent, and investigate safeguarding incidents.

As a result, the CQC has imposed urgent conditions on Bright Brains to make significant and immediate improvements and has prevented the service from accepting new packages of care without consent from the watchdog.

In the visit, it was found that the agency did not have appropriate numbers of staff, and the training and supervision were lacking.

Some were working on their own in a person’s home, and leaders expected members to work 12-hour shifts with no arrangements put in place to ensure they were able to take a break.

At times, these were both day and night shifts, and back-to-back.

CQC deputy director of operations in Kent Amy Jupp said “During our visit to Bright Brains Global Limited, we uncovered serious leadership failings that jeopardised people’s safety.

“They hadn’t ensured good systems and processes were in place to support staff carrying out basic tasks like risk assessments, and supporting people’s individual decisions and interests.”

In one instance, a person had a camera in their room in the event they had a seizure.

It was meant to be turned off during the day, but staff never did, and said that when the person wanted privacy, they would just cover themselves with bedding.

Assessors also identified safety concerns, including multiple incidents of alleged abuse that had not been raised with the local authority but should have been.

We saw poor documentation and care planning was also putting people at risk

Ms Jupp said: “We saw poor documentation and care planning was also putting people at risk.

“Staff failed to report safeguarding concerns, despite saying they would and left vital information out of care plans, giving colleagues no clear guidance on people’s individual needs.

“Staff also weren’t reviewing people’s medication usage regularly or recording them well – for example, they gave one person medicine without completing a medicine administration record, putting them at risk of receiving further medication unnecessarily.

“The service also failed to work effectively with health professionals, hospital passports lacked key details, and families were rarely involved in planning care transitions to and from services.”

In their report, inspectors said leaders had told them they encouraged open communication, but found this not to be the case, with staff saying they didn’t feel safe speaking up.

As a result, a closed culture had been created, ignoring “the rights of both people receiving care and the staff providing it”.

Ms Jupp said: “We have imposed urgent conditions on the service to drive the rapid improvements needed and will continue to monitor the home closely to make sure people are safe whilst that happens.”

Bright Brains Global Limited has been approached for comment.