CQC requires improvement at The Grange, Shildon

14 June 2013

A report which was recently published on the CQC website identifies the findings from CQC inspections carried out on 19 and 23 April 2013.

As part of this inspection CQC followed up on a compliance action set at the previous visit  in November 2012. Inspectors found that improvements had not been made.

When they visited the home, CQC found that the provider,Highlea Care Limited, was failing to meet all six of the national standards reviewed.

When they returned on 19 and 20 April 2013 to review progress, the improvements required by the provider had not been made.

Inspectors found that the provider did not have effective recruitment and selection processes in place - people had been employed without satisfactory evidence of their conduct in previous employment.

• There were not enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff to meet people's needs. The registered manager told inspectors they moved staff around in order to meet these shortfalls.

• People were cared for by staff who were not supported to deliver care and treatment safely and to an appropriate standard. Some staff had not completed fire safety or infection control training or updates and planned competency checks relating to medication had not been completed.

• We saw that some people's care plans and monitoring records had been reviewed and some people's had not been reviewed. Where reviews had taken place and actions identified as being required, these actions had not been completed.

• One person's care plan stated that 15 minute observations were to be completed and documented. We saw detailed records had been completed between the hours of 22:00 and 08:00, but not between 08:00 and 22:00. This meant an accurate record in relation to the care and treatment of this person was not being maintained.

The Grange is a domiciliary care service which provides support to people with a learning disability. At the time of this inspection, The Grange offered support to people living in 11 supported living buildings.

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

“The issues we found at The Grange 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