23 March 2012
The Oaks Nursing Home is not meeting the essential standards.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is taking action to protect the safety and welfare of people living in the Oaks Nursing Home.
Inspectors have told the nursing home in Western Road, Mickleover, Derby, improvements must be made to comply with the essential standards of quality and safety.
The unannounced inspection carried out on 2 Februarytook place to check on whether a warning notice issued in relation to the service had been complied with.
The provider, Quality Care (EM) Limited, was found to be failing to meet all six of the essential standards of care and safety inspectors looked at.
What inspectors found:
Respecting and involving people who use the services
CQC staff observed staff waking a person for their lunch but they did not wait for the person to be fully awake before moving them. The person concerned appeared startled and confused at what was happening. Inspectors also looked at records, including surveys to monitor the service being provided, and found that concerns had been raised by relatives about people wearing clothes that did not belong to them. They found evidence that concerns had been raised about staff not paying enough attention when shaving people, not checking people’s glasses were clean, not checking hearing aids were switched on in the mornings and about them not checking that teeth were brushed using toothpaste.
Care and welfare of people who use services
CQC inspectors saw staff not applying the brakes to wheelchairs before assisting people out of them, which posed a risk of the chairs slipping from underneath people. Everyone was served food on plastic plates regardless of their needs or preferences. Inspectors did not see many staff attempting to communicate effectively with people in their care and people using the service appeared passive and withdrawn.
Safeguarding people who use the services
Inspectors were concerned about what they saw at the home. In one incident staff attempted to get a person in to a hoist to move them. Staff struggled to make the person comfortable in this and in the process the person concerned got their finger trapped. Although, the person told staff about the injury no one checked on the person and CQC inspectors did not see the injury being reported to anyone or any nursing staff being asked to look at it.
CQC also looked at records and found an incident whereby a person had skin tears on their shins had not been reported by staff. Another incident, that staff told inspectors about, also appeared not to have been recorded.
Requirements relating to workers
During the inspection CQC looked at records relating to the recruitment of staff and found that insufficient checks had been made to ensure employees were suitable to work with vulnerable people.
Supporting staff
Inspectors found that staff were not receiving the supervision and appraisals needed to ensure their performance could improve. This meant that people could not be assured they were safe or that their needs would be sufficiently met.
Assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision
CQC staff could not find any evidence to show the provider effectively monitored the delivery of care or that there were any systems in place to make sure risks to people using the service were properly managed.
Andrea Gordon, Deputy Director of Operation (regions) for CQC, said: “The continuing failings at The Oaks Nursing Home are a real concern.
“CQC has been working closely with Derby City Council and Derby City PCT to ensure the safety and wellbeing of people receiving this service and we have told the provider where they need to improve.
“We will continue to monitor this service. If we had immediate concerns about people’s safety, we would take action straight away on behalf of residents.
“CQC has previously made it plain to the provider that this cannot be allowed to continue. We will now consider taking action to protect the interests of the people who depend on this service, however the law does not allow us to go into detail at this stage.”
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 Louise Grifferty, Regional Communications Manager, on 07717 422917. The CQC press office is also available on 0207 448 9401 or out of hours on 07917 232 143.
Notes to editors
Read the reports
Read the reports from our checks on standards at The Oaks Nursing Home.