Care home put in special measures
It was being investigated over death
ACARE home being investigated after a resident died has been placed in special measures after inspectors were tipped off by a whistle-blower.
Care Quality Commission inspectors visited Le Moors in Clayton-leMoors and found the care home, which looks after young adults with learning difficulties, was unsafe.
During the unannounced inspection the CQC inspector found that the registered manager had retired in December 2020.
Although a new manager had been appointed they had not registered with the CQC which is a legal requirement.
Le Moors, which looks after up to eight people, was last inspected in February 2020 when it was assessed as ‘requires improvement’.
Bosses completed an action plan listing improvements to be made but when the CQC returned this May inspector found “not enough improvement had been made and the provider was still in breach of regulations.
Safety at Le Moors “has deteriorated to inadequate... this meant people were not safe and were at risk of avoidable harm”, the inspector found.
The CQC report, published this month, reveals the inspection was carried out “partly as a result of whistleblowing concerns we had received regarding the care people were receiving in the home”.
The report also revealed: “The CQC is continuing to investigate the circumstances relating to the death of a person who lived at the service.
“The information shared with CQC about the incident indicated potential concerns about the management of people’s risk of choking. In addition, potential concerns were indicated about staffing levels, staff training and management arrangements at the service.”
During the inspection in May Le Moors did not have enough staff on duty, staff had not been safely recruited and references had not been provided, infection control measures still required improvement, the visitor toilet was not fit for purpose, fire safety checks were not being completed, staff had “no experience” of fire drills and patient care records lacked detail.
The inspector noted: “Staff needed to be supported to develop skills in recognised methods to communicate with people with a learning disability or autism.
“The provider had not ensured risk assessments were in place which considered the increased vulnerability of people living in the home to COVID-19.
“There was no evidence staff had taken any action to assess and mitigate the risks of people being unable to understand the government guidance they should self-isolate in their bedroom following admission to the home or to maintain social distancing.
“Care records lacked detail about people’s interests, wishes and preferences. There was no evidence of goal planning with people who lived in the home to support them to live independent and fulfilling lives.”
Relatives of patients also had concerns about Le Moors which they flagged up to the inspector.
The CQC report stated: “A relative told us there were not enough staff to always promote positive interaction with people in the home or to support people to undertake activities outside of Le Moors.
“They commented ‘[Name of person] doesn’t get enough stimulation; that’s my main concern’.
“Another relative told us, ‘[Name of person] is safe but he also needs to feel excited and special’.
“The views of relatives were confirmed by a professional who told us the home appeared very institutionalised in its approach to caring for people.”
A number of health and safety issues were also identified by the inspector. A toilet set aside for the use of visitors was unclean, the hot water tap did not work and there were no paper towels available for people to use. In addition, a waste bin in this toilet contained used personal protective equipment but did not have a covered lid.
The inspector added: “The provider had continued to fail to ensure people were protected from the risks associated with poor infection control. This placed people at risk of harm.”
At the last inspection, the provider had failed to ensure staff managed people’s medicines safely but this has since improved, the inspector noted.
The CQC report also revealed the leadership at Le Moors was inadequate.
“Staff told us they found it difficult to challenge decisions made by the home manager, for example a directive that people should be showered twice a day, when they did not feel this was always required and was not in line with people’s preferences,” the report stated.
“A relative also told us the manager had been inflexible in their approach to arranging visits to the home.”
Despite the concerns identified during the inspection the CQC report released that “relatives and the professionals we spoke with had no concerns about the care people received in the home”.
“Our observations showed people appeared happy in their environment,” the inspector added.
The CQC will re-inspect Le Moors in six months. If sufficient improvements have not been made the regulator has the option of removing the care home from the register.
Le Moors was contacted for comment.