Regulator identifies serious concerns at Swindon care home

23 November 2012

CQC inspectors have identified serious failings during an unannounced inspection at a care home in Stratton-St-Margaret, Swindon.

Selena House Care Home, in Oxford Road, was failing to meet national standards in 11 areas; treating people with dignity and respect, care and welfare, meeting nutritional needs, safeguarding, cleanliness and infection control, medicines management, safety and suitability of premises, staffing levels, assessing and monitoring the quality of the service provided, record keeping, and failing to make statutory notifications to CQC.

Since the inspection took place in October, the provider, Mr Y Abhee, has applied to cancel his registration with CQC. The home is due to close at the beginning of December. People living at the home and their families are being supported to find places at alternative care homes by Swindon Borough Council.

Among CQC’s findings:

• People were not being treated with respect by the manager of the home, who gave details of their personal circumstances without maintaining their privacy, and care records did not always refer to people respectfully. People were not sufficiently involved in making decisions about their care.
• Care in the home was not planned and delivered in a way that supported people with dementia. Care plans did not always contain enough guidance to help staff support people. There was a lack of activities available in the home.
• People were not always given a choice of suitable food and drink to meet their needs. The guidance available when people required a special diet was not always sufficient to support their needs.
• The home was dirty, and fixtures and fittings were sometimes damaged or badly stained. Cleaning was not taking place regularly according to the schedule the home had set.
• Medicines management in the home was inadequate. Records were not always completed correctly, and there was potential for people to be given the wrong medication.

Ian Biggs, Deputy Director of CQC in the South, said:

“Selena House has been failing in its duty to provide care which was up to the standard required by law. The national standards exist to protect people who cannot always speak up for themselves from being put at risk of harm.

“The level of failings was so serious that we had to take action. If the provider had not decided to take steps to close the home, we would have taken immediate enforcement action to protect the safety and promote the welfare of people living there.

“We have been working closely with the local authority, who are monitoring the home to ensure that people remaining there are safe and adequately cared for.”

This inspection took place as part of a national programme looking at dignity and nutrition for older people living in care homes. A full report on the national inspection programme will be published in due course.

For further information please contact the CQC press office on 0207 448 9239 or out of hours on 07917 232143.

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