A CARE home which was found to be in breach of seven regulations - including staff compromising residents’ dignity - has been plunged into special measures by inspectors.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out an unannounced visit to Holly Tree Lodge, on Sceptone Grove, Shafton, in March and published its damning findings this week.
The home provides nursing and personal care for up to 41 older people who may have mental health needs, including those living with dementia.
The report judged the care home as being inadequate across the board - the CQC’s lowest category for failing provisions - with its safety, effectiveness, quality of care, responsiveness and leadership all coming under fire.
Following a visit in August 2016, where inspectors said the home required improvement - one category above its current level - the CQC asked leaders to create an action plan to address concerns and boost its safety and effectiveness to a ‘good’ level.
“We found shortfalls in the care and service provided to people,” the latest report said. “We identified seven breaches in regulations - staffing, treatment, person-centred care, safeguarding, dignity and respect, consent and good governance.
“People told us the staff were friendly and caring and we saw this in some of our observations, however we also found residents were not always treated with respect and their dignity was not maintained.
“Activities were limited and there was little to interest or occupy people. The CQC is considering the appropriate regulatory response to resolve the problems we found.
“Services in special measures will be kept under review and will be inspected again within six months. The expectation is that providers found to have been providing inadequate care should have made significant improvements within this timeframe.”
If sufficient improvement is not noted and a rating of inadequate is maintained, enforcement procedures could be started which may mean the CQC prevents the home from operating.
“This service will continue to be kept under review and, if needed, could be escalated to urgent enforcement action,” the report added. “If there is not enough improvement, we will take action to prevent the provider from operating this service.”
Nutritional assessments were also found to be inaccurate, with inspectors finding some residents to be at ‘high risk’ of malnutrition. One record showed a person lost seven kilograms (just over a stone) in a five-month period, although records stated the resident was in a ‘safe nutritional state’.
A spokesman from Trust Care, the company which runs Holly Tree Lodge, told the Chronicle that they are working to address the concerns outlined in the report.
“We are extremely disappointed to have received the recent rating from the Care Quality Commission.
“We would like to assure all of our clients that we are working closely with the CQC and the local authority to address all of the deficiencies outlined in the report.
“We are however pleased to read the CQC’s observations that relatives felt their family members at Holly Tree Lodge were safe in the home and staff were friendly and caring.”
