Alders Residential Home, Morecambe, is rated as Inadequate by the Care Quality Commission

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has told Alders Residential Home in Morecambe, Lancashire, that it must make improvements to protect the safety and welfare of people living there.

CQC carried out an unannounced inspection of the home in December 2014 and identified a number of areas where improvements were required. Further unannounced visits to the home took place over six days in February 2015 in response to information of concern.

During their inspection, CQC found that the home, operated by Calderdean Limited, was failing to provide care which was safe, effective, caring, responsive or well led.

Under CQC’s new programme of inspections, all adult social care services are being given a rating to help people choose care. Overall, Alders Residential home has been rated as Inadequate.

A full report from the inspection has been published on the CQC website: www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-124597661.

The report identifies a number of areas in which improvements are required, including:

• Inspectors found that people’s safety, health and welfare were put at risk because there were not enough suitable staff on duty at all times.
• People were not protected from abuse and avoidable harm because the arrangements to keep people safe were not effective.
• People did not always receive their medicines as prescribed.
• Recommendations from CQC and external services about the security of the building, electrical safety, fire safety arrangements and infection control had not been acted upon.
• Appropriate standards of cleanliness and hygiene were not consistently maintained.
• Some people were at increased risk of malnutrition and dehydration and arrangements for monitoring their weight, diet and fluid intake were inconsistent.
• Recruitment checks for new staff were incomplete and staff were not always provided with sufficient training and supervision.
• The provider did not have an effective system in place to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people received.

Following CQC’s inspection the home has been managed by an established local provider who is currently facilitating the delivery of care and is in the process of registering the additional location with CQC.

CQC is taking further action against the former provider, Calderdean Limited, in line with its enforcement policy.

Debbie Westhead, Deputy Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care in the North, said:

“People are entitled to services which provide safe, effective, compassionate and high quality care.

"We found many concerns around people's care and welfare generally. It is clear that Calderdean Limited did not have a system to monitor the quality of the service and take the required action.

"When we are faced with a residential or nursing home failing their residents, our first instinct is to make sure the service improves. But there are times when we have no confidence that the service will improve. When this happens, we must take action to protect people.

"Since these concerns were first raised, we have been working closely with Lancashire County Council to ensure the immediate safety of all residents. We are now taking further action in relation to Calderdean Limited and will report on this when it is completed."

“A new provider is currently overseeing the running of the home and is in the process of registering CQC. CQC have been working closely with the new provider and have been encouraged by the improvements already made. We will continue to monitor the new provider’s progress in actioning the necessary improvements to ensure that residents receive the quality of care they are entitled to expect.”

Ends

For further information please contact CQC Regional Engagement Manager Kirstin Hannaford on 0191 233 3629.

For media enquiries about the Care Quality Commission, please call the press office on 020 7448 9401 during office hours. Journalists wishing to speak to the press office outside of office hours can find out how to contact the team here. (Please note: the duty press officer is unable to advise members of the public on health or social care matters).

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