Care workers employed by Radis, contracted by Portsmouth City Council, fed a vulnerable woman microwaved dog food during her final months, leading to an apology from the council and a finding of "significant personal injustice" by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
Incident details
The woman, known as Mrs Y, was receiving at-home support from GP Homecare Ltd, trading as Radis, after a fall in April 2024 left her with restricted mobility and bedbound. In mid-June 2024, a care worker was discovered feeding the woman dog food, documented as a "lamb dinner". Two care workers visited Mrs Y's home, and a week later one raised concerns about witnessing the other "feed dog food" to Mrs Y.
The care worker "only realised the meat was dog food when they noticed the packaging in the kitchen". They initially attempted to reach a senior colleague to flag the incident, but their call went unanswered, leading them to report the matter face-to-face the following week.
Investigation findings
The ombudsman's investigation found that Mrs Y was "left unattended for prolonged periods and on occasions left wet or in darkness overnight". Staffing levels were "inconsistent", with worries raised about workers' "attitude, compassion and respectful communication". There were also "allegations that staff falsified records and that some visits had not taken place despite being recorded".
The investigation established that the care worker "fed three mouthfuls of microwaved dog food to Mrs Y". The food was "vacuum packed dog food stored by Mrs Z in Mrs Y's freezer", labelled as "fresh take on dog food" and "for adult dogs and puppies".
Family concerns and response
Mrs Y's son flagged safeguarding worries regarding a "lack of management oversight at Radis", claiming staff failed to check her care plan, visits weren't recorded properly, and a 'Do Not Attempt Resuscitation' form was found "scrunched up in a cupboard". The council launched a Section 42 safeguarding enquiry, and Radis began its own internal probe.
Mrs Y's daughter alleged that "footage from Mrs Y's home camera showed evidence of a care worker force feeding Mrs Y". Following discussions, it was agreed that a new care provider would be sought, but in July 2024, the family opted to delay the new provider's start date due to a deterioration in Mrs Y's health. She passed away later that month, with the cause determined as "frailty of old age".
Council apology and action
Radis admitted failings in the care delivered, verified disciplinary measures against carers, and issued an apology. The ombudsman recommended the council apologise, reimburse the care charges, and provide a symbolic sum of £1,000 to the relatives to "recognise significant distress" and the "delays" in the safeguarding inquiry.
Councillor Matthew Winnington, cabinet member for community wellbeing, health and care, said: "We accept the Ombudsman's findings in full and recognise the seriousness of what happened in this case. We ended our contract with Radis early and we no longer work with, or commission services from them."
He added: "The care described in this report is not the standard anyone should expect, particularly at such a vulnerable time in someone's life. We have apologised to the family and are very sorry for the distress they have experienced; we know this has been deeply upsetting for the family."
Winnington also noted that the events happened two years ago and that the council has since taken action to strengthen oversight of care providers. He highlighted that adult social care services recently received a 'good' rating from the Care Quality Commission.
