20 September 2011
Southampton care home failing to meet five essential standards.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has told South Haven Lodge Care Home in Southampton that it must take swift action to improve services at the home.
Following visits in June 2011, CQC inspectors found that the care provided fell short of the essential standards of quality and safety people should be able to expect from a care home.
South Haven Lodge Care Home is owned by New Century Care (Southampton) Limited. It provides care for up to 46 older people with dementia. It is also registered to provide nursing care, diagnostic and screening procedures and treatment of disease, disorder or injury.
CQC has told New Century Care Ltd. that it will be monitoring South Haven Lodge closely and will hold it to account if improvements are not made swiftly. The regulator will not hesitate to take further action to ensure the safety of people who use services, staff and the public.
The CQC report, which is published today, highlights four areas of major concern.
Care and welfare
Inspectors found that people did not receive care and support as described in their care plans, especially for those needing nursing care. Care was not delivered in a way that ensured the welfare and safety of residents.
Safeguarding people
There were concerns about staffing levels, people not being supported to go to the toilet, fluid provision and other care requirements not being met. The registered person failed to make suitable arrangements to ensure that people were safeguarded against the risk of abuse.
Supporting staff
Care was not delivered in a way that ensured the welfare and safety of residents, especially those requiring nursing care. Supervision of staff failed to ensure that staff were competent to perform their roles. At the time of the inspection, 10 nurses were employed at the service. Inspectors found that six staff had not completed competency assessments. For the remaining four staff, competency assessments had not been completed in full and did not demonstrate that a robust process had been followed.
Assessing and monitoring the quality of service
Effective systems were not in operation to ensure that risks relating to the health, welfare and safety of residents were identified. There were omissions in care practices and poor record keeping.
CQC Regional Director for the South East, Roxy Boyce, said: “The care at South Haven Lodge has fallen short of the standards people have a right to expect.
“The law says these are the standards that everyone should be able to expect when they receive care. Providers have a duty to ensure they are compliant – or face the consequences.
“Our inspectors will return to South Haven Lodge very soon, and if we find that the home is not making progress we won’t hesitate to take enforcement action on behalf of the people who live there.”
Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, CQC has a number of enforcement powers that enable it to act swiftly when services are failing people. These include issuing warning notices, restricting the services that a provider can offer or the way it is provided; or, in the most serious cases, suspending or cancelling a service. CQC can also issue financial penalty notices and cautions or prosecute the provider for failing to meet essential standards.
Ends
For further information please contact the CQC press office on 0207 448 4502 or out of hours on 07917 232 143.
Notes to editors
About the CQC: Snippet for press releases
About the Care Quality Commission
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care in England.
We make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and we encourage care services to improve.
We monitor, inspect and regulate services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety and we publish what we find to help people choose care.
Read the report
Read the reports from our checks on standards at South Haven Lodge.