The Care Quality Commission (CQC) requires immediate action to improve the standards of care provided by Stylepeople Limited

In a report published today, CQC inspectors identified a number of repeated concerns following an inspection of Chapel Brook House Nursing & Residential Care Home based in Congleton. The inspection was carried out in September 2014 in order to follow up on improvements required at a previous inspection.

Visiting inspectors found that the nursing home was failing to provide care which was safe, effective, caring, responsive or well led; and all six of the national standards reviewed by the inspection team were not being met.

A full report detailing the findings from the inspection has been published on the CQC website this week.

Inspectors concluded that:

• Residents were often left for long periods of time with no engaging activities to be involved in.
• Medication Administration Records contained inconsistencies and inspectors raised concerns that the appropriate risk assessments had not been carried out for residents who were self-medicating.
• No improvements to the building and its surroundings had been made following concerns identified in the previous inspection.
• Staff were not being supported to deliver care and treatment safely through regular supervision sessions.
• Inspectors raised concerns about the standards of record keeping. Care plans contained out of date information, were difficult to read and in many cases had not been signed by the person receiving the care or their representative.
• The provider did not have an effective system in place to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people received.

As a result of these findings CQC is currently considering the need for further regulatory action against Stylepeople Limited and will report in due course on any action they do decide to take.

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

"There is a history of concerns with Chapel Brook House and it is unacceptable that improvements requested back in May have not been made. This is why we are considering for the need for further action against the service– although we cannot discuss the nature of that action any further at this stage for legal reasons.

"We have shared our findings with the Local Authority Safeguarding Team, and we have told Stylepeople Limited very clearly where they must take action to address our concerns. "The residents receiving care from Chapel Brook House are entitled to receive services which are safe, effective, compassionate, well led, and responsive to their needs. It is inexcusable that the provider has allowed such significant failings to continue.

"We are monitoring Chapel Brook House very closely in liaison with the local authority to ensure that people receiving care are not at risk of immediate harm, and we will report further on any further action we intend to take in due course."

Any regulatory decision that CQC takes is open to challenge by a registered person through a variety of internal and external appeal processes.

Ends

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