A provider of home care services that is being prepared for sale has been sanctioned by the regulator for quality failings dating back three years.
Argent Nominees, which is owned by Enrich Health Group – part of myHomecare – has been banned from accepting new clients for three months and has an end-of-year deadline to return to compliance.
Argent operates under four brands, including Happy Living, Better Living Homecare WA and Just Home Care Packages.
On 2 June, Argent received sanction notices from the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission in relation to its Happy Living and Just Care brands.
The reasons for the sanctions were “identified continued non-compliance with the Aged Care Quality Standards and ongoing risk to care recipients’ safety, health or well-being”. The provider also failed to meet the regulator’s standards for consumer dignity and choice, ongoing assessment and planning, personal and clinical care and organisational governance.
Enrich Health Group is owned by myHomecare, which grew out of a partnership between the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) of Western Australia, private equity firm Quadrant, and the Sue Mann family. Argent made a profit of $32 million last financial year, with revenue more than doubling to $323.5 million.
According to The West Australian, the RAC and Quadrant have been exploring a trade sale or float of the company, which trades as Enrich Living Services and combines three care businesses sold by the RAC’s St Ives retirement home in 2016.
