Bellevue Healthcare Limited in Middlesbrough remains in special measures after the CQC again rated them as Inadequate following an inspection in December 2016.
This service was previously inspected in March and April 2016 was and rated Inadequate after CQC inspectors found several breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008. The service has also been under a serious concerns protocol with Middlesbrough Council since March 2016.
Inspectors were very concerned following a progress check in November 2016 and issued a notice of decision under urgent powers requiring that no one was admitted to the home without first discussing this with CQC.
The full report from the inspection can be found on our website.
Debbie Westhead, Deputy Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care in the North, said:
“People are entitled to services which provide safe, caring and high quality care. We found that the care provided at Bellevue Healthcare Limited once again fell short of what we expect services to provide.
“At this inspection we found some improvements had been made at the home, there were other concerns that came to light so they remain in special measures.
“Risk assessments were still inadequately managed and not person-centred, putting people at unnecessary risk of harm.
“We were also concerned that people were still at risk of malnutrition and dehydration due to poor recording of what people were eating and drinking in their care records. The care home had also not established an effective way of implementing the advice of dieticians.
“We are working with local partners including Middlesbrough Council to ensure the safety of people using this service.”
Staff still did not ensure they gave sufficient fluids or took evidenced action when people had reduced fluid intake or passed more fluids than they consumed. They still took no action when people refused to have their weight taken or lost significant weight. The registered manager told inspectors when staff had contacted the GP about people not taking sufficient fluids for three days they had been shouted at and told not to call them. No records were available to show when this occurred or what GP had behaved in this manner.
Staff could not find anyone's records for food and fluid for the previous week and inspectors were informed that they had been archived. Inspectors looked for the most recent archive material and found the information was not there and the records were all jumbled. CQC pointed out at the last inspection that the record keeping was chaotic and documents were haphazardly put in the broken archive folders. This remained the same and recent letters from healthcare professionals, notes, old care plans and fluid balances charts were jumbled together.
The registered manager told CQC they had been unable to complete a complaint investigation for a person who lived at the home last year because all the records were not available.
Bellevue Healthcare Limited had introduced a new accident and incident reporting procedure. Inspectors found that not all staff were aware of this new procedure, despite available guidance. Accidents and incidents on the dementia unit had been regularly reported by staff; however inspectors were concerned that no accidents or incidents had been reported on the young adult's unit and elderly care unit.
Inspectors found that risks to people using this service are major and are taking action in line with CQC enforcement policy. This is currently subject to legal proceedings and CQC are unable to report on these proceedings until they have concluded.
Any regulatory decision that CQC takes is open to challenge by a registered person through a variety of internal and external appeal processes.
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