Home care provider gave elderly Portsmouth resident dog food, ombudsman finds

An inquiry by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman concluded that a Radis Community Care employee mistakenly gave a Portsmouth elderly woman microwaved dog food, recording it as a lamb dinner before a colleague identified the error. The episode was part of a broader series of shortcomings spanning three months, such as falsified care logs, provision of stale food, and leaving the client in unsuitable conditions.

The ombudsman highlighted that the council's safeguarding investigation took six months instead of the statutory 28 days and relied too heavily on Radis's own review. Portsmouth City Council responded by ending the Radis contract early, refunding fees and paying an additional £1,000 to the family, and pledged tighter oversight of providers. Radis Community Care stated it voluntarily ceased services in Portsmouth at the end of 2025, claimed procedural improvements, and confirmed the offending worker is no longer employed. Both parties issued apologies for the unacceptable lapse in care.