Regulator tells Chacombe Park it is not protecting the safety and welfare of people who use its services

12 September 2011

Chacombe Park care home is not meeting six essential standards.

Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors who visited Chacombe Park care home, located in Chacombe, Banbury, found that it was failing to meet six essential standards of quality and safety.

Chacombe Park care home is owned by Barchester Healthcare Homes Limited. Chacombe Park is a home providing residential and nursing care for up to 77 people, some of whom may have dementia and/or a physical disability.

CQC inspectors visited the home on 21 July 2011 as a result of concerns raised following a previous inspection. Inspectors reviewed all the information held about this provider, observed how people were being cared for, looked at records of people who use the services and talked to staff.

The CQC report, which is published today, has major concerns about three essential standards.

Care and welfare of people

Care plans were not updated or comprehensive and the care plans did not show that people in the home were fully consulted about their care. Their dignity and privacy were not sufficiently respected. People in the home also lacked sufficient stimulation and spent a lot of time in bed or in their bedrooms without interaction. There were a very limited number of activities scheduled for residents.

Management of medicines

Arrangements were not in place for the safe recording, handling and use of medicines in the service. The service did not protect people against the risks associated with the unsafe use and management of medication.

Supporting staff

Staff had not received relevant training to enable them to fully meet the needs of people in the home, especially with dementia training. Only one staff member had a mental health qualification and no staff had been trained to manage difficult behaviour associated with dementia. Staff received little or no support from managers. Staff turnover was high and staff stated that their views and concerns were not addressed by some senior managers.

Chacombe Park has submitted an action plan to CQC, outlining how it will address these concerns in order to meet the standards. Inspectors will return to the care home unannounced to check whether the improvements have been made.

CQC Regional Director for the South East, Roxy Boyce, said: “The care at Chacombe Park has fallen far short of the standards people have a right to expect.

“The law says these are the standards that everyone should be able to expect when they receive care. Providers have a duty to ensure they are compliant – or face the consequences.

“Our inspectors will return to Chacombe Park very soon, and if we find that the provider is not making the required progress we won’t hesitate to use our legal powers on behalf of the people who live there."

By law, providers of care services have a legal responsibility to make sure they are meeting the essential standards of quality and safety. We will continue to monitor progress and we will check to make sure that the improvements have been made.

Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, the CQC has a number of new enforcement powers that enable it to act swiftly when services are failing people. These include issuing warning notices, restricting the services that a provider can offer or the way it is provided; or, in the most serious cases, suspending or cancelling a service. CQC can also issue financial penalty notices and cautions or prosecute the provider for failing to meet essential standards.

Ends

For further information please contact the CQC press office on 0207 448 9239 or out of hours on 07917 232 143.

Notes to editors