Regulator tells Tadworth nursing home it is not protecting the safety and welfare of people who use its services

18 May 2011

Warrengate Nursing Home is not meeting 12 essential standards.

Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors who visited the Warrengate Nursing Home in Kingswood near Tadworth, found that it was failing to meet 12 essential standards of quality and safety.

Warrengate Nursing Home is run by Claremont Care Services, and provides accommodation for up to 40 older people, some of whom may have dementia.

CQC inspectors visited the home in March. The visit was to check whether the home had made the necessary improvements to meet the essential standards of care. Providers of care services have a legal responsibility to make sure they are meeting all the essential standards of quality and safety.

The CQC report, which is published today, has concerns about 12 essential standards including major concerns in five areas:

• Care and welfare: The steps taken to ensure appropriate and safe care is planned and delivered were inadequate and exposed people to risks of unsafe or inappropriate care. Care plans did not reflect people’s social and emotional needs and risk assessments were inconsistent.Nutrition: Service users were not being protected from the risks of inadequate food and drink, because they were not being offered a choice of main meal and their nutritional needs were not being assessed.
• Management of medicines: Medicines were not being managed or administered safely. Three people received their medicines at the same time in the dining room, although the MAR chart and medicines trolley had been left in another room. The amounts of two medicines did not match the record. The medicines policy and procedure was outdated.
• Suitability of equipment: Equipment in the home is inadequate to meet the needs of those using the service, and is being used without appropriate assessments being carried out. Only one hoist with two slings and two standing hoists with two slings were available although nine people need a hoist to assist their mobility. Pressure relieving mattresses were not set correctly and could not be set to suit the recorded weight of the people using them. These practices may expose those using the equipment to risks to their health, safety or welfare.
• The care environment: The heating and call bell facilities in the home needed improvement to ensure the safety and comfort of people living in the home. The home carried out relevant checks on prospective staff before employment started but did not ensure that they had the necessary training, experience and qualifications to perform the job competently.
• Staff numbers: People using the service were not protected from staff who may not be suitable to work in the home. Staff have been employed to work in the home without the required background checks.
• Supporting Staff training and supervision: Those using the service were not being cared for or supported by, competent staff. Staff have not received appropriate induction, training, supervision or appraisal.
• Assessing and monitoring quality: The provider has not ensured systems were in place to protect those using the service from inappropriate or unsafe care. Risks, complaints and records have not been identified, assessed or managed.

We have asked the provider to reply within 14 days of them receiving this report, setting out the action they will take to improve. We will check to make sure that the improvements have been made.

Warrengate Nursing Home has submitted an action plan to CQC, outlining how it will address these remaining concerns in order to meet the standards. Inspectors will return to the care home unannounced to check whether the improvements have been made and to decide whether to initiate formal enforcement action.

CQC Regional Director for the South East, Roxy Boyce, said: “The care at Warrengate Nursing Home has fallen far short of the standards people have a right to expect. It is clear standards require significant further improvement so we will continue to scrutinise this service very closely indeed to ensure these improvements are made and sustained.”

“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 Warrengate shortly, and if we find that it is not making progress we won’t hesitate to take further action on behalf of the people who live there.”

Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, the Care Quality Commission 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