Closed care home went eight years with no manager
A GWYNEDD care home that shut down suddenly had been without a manager for eight years.
Concerns had been raised by a healthcare professional that the interim manager at Penisarwaun had left on July 6 – six days before the home announced it was closing – and there was no deputy in place.
The home, in Brynrefail, had not had a permanent manager since 2010.
There had been two previous critical reports on the home, which was a subsidiary of Paul’s Care Services, and in May it was designated as a Service of Concern. Enforcement action was taken to prevent any further admissions.
When it shut, 20 residents needed to be found new care places at other nursing homes.
The report by inspectors following the July 6 visit has only just been published and it shows that eight regulations highlighted in May were still not being complied with.
These covered issues such as the appointment of a manager, having enough qualified staff on duty, preparing comprehensive care plans for the residents and reducing risks. The lack of a manager had been flagged up in a total of seven previous reports.
The inspectors praised the “kind and caring” staff but said that staffing levels were inadequate.
The summary states: “The service is not being carried on or managed with sufficient care, competence and skill. Staff training is inconsistent and is impacting upon the care and support people receive. Staffing levels are not always sufficient to effectively meet people’s needs.
“The responsible individual’s lack of working knowledge of the regulations is impacting upon their ability to oversee the safe and affective running of the service.”
The owners had also failed to inform Care Inspectorate Wales that an insolvency company had been instructed to assist with putting the home into voluntary liquidation.
During the visit the inspectors were told by a staff nurse that she had just been informed by the directors that she would take on managerial duties.
Referring to the lack of leadership, the report states: “We found a significant number of areas where the registered provider was not complying with the legal requirements. Staff views of the new responsible individual were negative: four staff members said they had not seen him.”
Paul’s Care Services Ltd, whose directors are Mubarik Paul, an accountant, and his wife Patrizia, a nurse, owns two other homes in Accrington and Huncoat, in Lancashire.