The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has told HF Trust Limited that urgent improvements need to be made at Rowde in Devizes, Wiltshire following an inspection in July 2021.
Rowde is a care home for up to 37 people with learning disabilities and/or autistic people. The people there live in five bungalows on one site and have their own rooms, as well as access to communal areas such as dining rooms and lounges.
The inspection was prompted to seek assurances about the safety and care of people, following information received as part of safeguarding concerns and a police investigation into an incident at the home. As these investigations were ongoing, this inspection did not examine the circumstances of those incidents, but inspectors wanted to seek assurance about the wider safety measures in place for people at the service.
Following the inspection, Rowde has been rated inadequate overall and placed into special measures. It has also been rated inadequate for being safe and well-led and requires improvement for being effective.
Debbie Ivanova, CQC’s deputy chief inspector for people with a learning disability and autistic people said:
“When we inspected Rowde in July this year, we found care that did not meet people’s needs. We expect all health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability the choices, dignity and independence to live a life of their choosing, which most people take for granted. This was not happening at Rowde. Our main concern at this time is for the welfare of the people living at Rowde and we will continue to monitor the service and work with the relevant local authorities to ensure that people are safe.”
Inspectors found the following issues at the service:
- The service was not able to demonstrate how it was meeting some of the underpinning principles of right support, right care, right culture
- This service did not provide a model of care that maximises people's choice, control and independence. Accommodation was provided in a 'campus' style setting on the edge of a village
- Care was not always person-centred and did not promote people's dignity at all times. People were not living in a service with the right person-centred culture
- An incident had taken place whereby staff placed people at risk of harm with their actions. The provider's mitigation of the risks was inadequate and further placed people at risk of harm
- People did not have their medicines as prescribed. There had been multiple medicines incidents and/or errors since the last inspection. While people were not harmed, the inadequate systems and governance around medicines management placed people at risk of harm
- Since the last inspection, CQC had been notified or made aware of six episodes of actual or near miss choking incidents. People were at risk of harm as safety measures put in place were not appropriate or personalised.
However:
- Sufficient numbers of staff were available. Where there were gaps in staffing numbers the provider used agency staff
- Staff had been trained and were able to have supervision with their line managers. Staff enjoyed their jobs and the feedback about the staff approach from people and relatives was positive
- Systems were in place for visiting for relatives and friends
- The service was clean, and staff carried out regular cleaning for high contact areas
- There was enough stock of personal protective equipment (PPE). Staff told inspectors they had been provided with enough supplies of PPE throughout the pandemic and been trained on how to use it.
Full details of the inspection are given in the report published on our website.
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