CQC requires improvement at Claremont House, Kirklees

10 June 2013

A report which is published on the CQC website this week identifies the findings from CQC inspections carried out in February and March 2013to follow up on improvements required at a previous inspection.

When they visited the home, CQC found that the provider, Kirklees Metropolitan Council, was failing to meet all seven of the national standards reviewed.

By law, providers of care services must ensure that they are meeting all standards.

Visiting inspectors reviewed a sample of care and treatment records of people living in the home, observed how care was being delivered, and spoke with residents and members of staff. As a result they found that improvements were still required in a number of areas.

Individual care plans reviewed by inspectors failed to evidence whether people living at the home had given their consent to care and treatment. Care records showed that some residents’ needs had not been adequately assessed, and care and treatment was not always being delivered in line with their individual care plans.

Inspectors were concerned that there were insufficient numbers of staff on duty to ensure that the needs of people living at the home were fully met or to provide activities for residents to take part in.

Not all staff had received up to date training in safeguarding and some people living at the home were being placed at risk of harm because staff were not carrying out hourly care checks through the night where this level of support was required.

In several areas of the home the standards of cleanliness was poor and the appropriate maintenance work had not been carried out.

Care records contained inaccuracies and were missing information, and staff training records were not up to date. In addition inspectors the home was found a lack of effective processes in place to monitor the quality of care being provided.

Claremont House provides accommodation and personal care for up to 40 older people.

Malcolm Bower-Brown, CQC’s Regional Director for the North said:

“The failings at Claremont House are a real concern and we have told the provider where immediate improvements need to be made.

“We continue to monitor the situation carefully and will not hesitate to take further regulatory action should this prove necessary to ensure the people using the service receive the service they are entitled to expect"

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

Ends

For further information please contact the CQC Regional Communications Team, David Fryer 07901 514 220 or Kirstin Hannaford 0191 233 3629.

The CQC press office can be contacted on 0207 448 9401 or out of hours on 07917 232 143.

Notes to editors