Home alone
CARE UNIT BRANDED INADEQUATE BY HEALTH WATCHDOG
A CARE home for people with mental health problems which has seen police repeatedly called has been branded inadequate by a care watchdog.
The Croft, in Stanley, has been branded inadequate by the Care Quality Commission after a string of failings.
Inspectors said Durham Police worked with the service to reduce the number of call-outs to the home and the number of incidents dropped after staff were told to consider if it was necessary to dial 999 every time.
The home, which cares for around 25 people with a range of mental health issues and learning disabilities, was told it must improve following the unannounced inspection from December 28 to 30. Inspectors highlighted dirty carpets and furniture, poorly trained staff and care plans that were not being followed.
The report said: “We found areas of the home to be unclean and the decoration was in a poor state of repair. The local infection control team had visited the home in October and December.
“They had highlighted the lack of cleanliness in October and found there was no change in December.
“We found not all staff had received training in mental health. No staff members had received training in meeting the needs of people with learning disabilities or diabetes.
“We found in one person’s care plan the home was required to keep all doors locked to keep the person safe. During our inspection we found the front door to the home open.”
But inspectors said staff were friendly towards residents and visitors, and residents said they felt safe.
Acting Chief Insp Kelly Martin, said : “We worked with staff, management and owners using a problem solving approach to increase their skills in dealing with challenging behaviours and how to deal with them at an appropriate level.”
Neil Wadge, regional director of Potens, the company which operates the home, said: “Following the recent CQC inspection findings, we have implemented a robust plan which will ensure the organisations, protocols and procedures are successfully embedded at the service, and are working closely with the local authority.”