Staff at a new South London care agency didn't give patients medicines when needed or turn up to visits, a damning report has found.

Goldsmith Personnel Kingston was given the worst possible rating at its first inspection after a watchdog found multiple rules had been broken. 

The agency on Claremont Road was rated "inadequate" by inspectors who said patients were unsafe and at risk of avoidable harm. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) report said patients didn't get their medicines when they needed them and that staff were often late or didn't turn up to visits at all.

A family member said: "[Staff] don't turn up on time and they don't let me know they're running late. My relative has medicine to take, and staff aren't there to give it to her. Staff don't stay the full time, they rush my relative and leave early. When the main carer goes on leave, I am concerned."

The report said: "Staff did not always attend calls on time and therefore medicines administration was missed or administered late. Medicines records were contradictory and did not clearly detail the support they needed, nor an accurate record of the medicines they were prescribed. We identified gaps in medicines administration records, including crossing out of signatures and omissions of medicines administration."

A patient added: "They are often late, they never let me know they're running late, and they usually say it's the traffic." Another relative said: "Sometimes, like yesterday, one of them didn't turn up. I was just so happening [to] visit and found out they hadn't been." 

The provider didn't take action to make sure incidents were investigated, according to the report. A patient had a fall that wasn't investigated or flagged to the safeguarding team.

The report also slammed recruitment processes at the agency, with inspectors finding three staff members had applications missing full education and employment histories. A relative said: "Goldsmith are a load of rubbish, I think they take any staff to do the job."

Inspectors raised concerns that patients weren't supported to be as independent as possible. But they praised the agency for treating them with respect. One patient said: "I have no complaints about the carers, they're friendly and kind towards me and do a first-class job."

The agency was caring for 29 people in their homes at the time of the inspection in September. It is now in special measures, meaning it will be kept under review and reinspected in six months. It could face closure if it doesn't improve. Goldsmith Personnel has been contacted for comment.