Spring Lodge, Worthing, rated as Inadequate by CQC

Following an unannounced inspection in November, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) told Holly Spring Limited that it must make urgent improvements at Spring Lodge in Worthing, West Sussex, or face enforcement action.

Under CQC’s new programme of inspections, all adult social care services are being given a rating to help people choose care. Overall, Spring Lodge was rated as Inadequate.

After receiving feedback about the outcome of the inspection, the provider decided to close the service. West Sussex County Council, in its role as the commissioner of services, assisted families to find new homes for their relatives, and the home closed in early December.

At the inspection, CQC found that the home in Madeira Avenue was failing to provide care which was safe, effective, caring, responsive to people’s needs or well led. Full findings have been published on the CQC website: www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-250584917.

The report identified a number of areas in which improvements were required, including:

• The people living in the home were not safe because of poor moving and handling practices and care planning, especially around medicines management. The home was dirty, and infection control was poor. There were not enough staff on duty at night to provide safe care to people. Recruitment procedures were inadequate to properly safeguard people, and staff had not received appropriate training.
• People’s dignity was not respected. The registered manager had failed to seek expert help in responding to the behaviours of the people living at the home which challenged the service and other people living there. These resulted in poor responses including rationing treats, chocolate, toilet paper, wipes and incontinence pads. People were ‘told off’ if they didn’t ‘behave’ and were spoken about in a way which was derogatory.
• People were not free to make their own choices. There was a set routine in the home about what time people could get up, what they did during the day, what time they ate, what time they got ready for bed and what time they went to bed.
• People were at risk of not receiving adequate nutrition and hydration.
• People were not involved in their care planning.

Adrian Hughes, CQC’s Deputy Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care in the south, said:

“It is unacceptable that people living at Spring Lodge were not being receiving care which was safe, effective, caring, responsive to their needs and well led. As soon as we had finished our inspection, we highlighted how serious our findings were to the provider, Holly Spring Limited. Very shortly after this they told us that they would be closing the home.

“Had they not done so, we would have taken enforcement action to protect people. We saw that the home was dirty, the management of medicines was dangerous, and there were not enough staff on duty at night to keep people safe. It is clearly not appropriate for toilet paper to be rationed to control challenging behaviour, or for people living with dementia to be told off and spoken about in a derogatory way if they do not behave themselves.

“This was not the kind of home that any of us would like our mum, or any other loved one, to live in, and it is good news that it is no longer operating.

“We know that when a care home closes it causes disruption to people, but it is important that the people who lived at Spring Lodge are in a safe environment and well managed homes where they can receive the quality of care that they deserve.”

Ends

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