St Catherine's Care Home has failed to protect people’s safety and welfare, says regulator

26 August 2011

St Catherine’s Care Home, Queen Street, Horwich, Bolton is not meeting a number of the essential standards of quality and safety.

Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected the home on 14 July and found major concerns with nine of these essential standards, with moderate and minor concerns about other areas.

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 on our website, highlights the regulator’s major concerns with nine areas the inspector looked at.

People should be treated with respect, involved in discussions about their care and treatment and able to influence how the service is run: People did not have their views and experiences adequately taken into account in the way the service was provided and delivered. There were gaps in promoting the privacy and dignity of people who lived at St Catherine's Care Home.

Before people are given any examination, care, treatment or support, they should be asked if they agree to it: People did not receive the level of support they needed to manage risks or make decisions about their care and treatment. We found some significant gaps in care standards and practices in supporting people who lacked mental capacity.

People should get safe and appropriate care that meets their needs and supports their rights: People did not receive the level and quality of person-centred support they required to meet their individual needs. We found some significant gaps in the delivery of care standards and practices.

Food and drink should meet people's individual dietary needs: People's health and wellbeing was at risk because risks they faced in relation to malnutrition and dehydration were not properly assessed or managed.

People should be cared for in a clean environment and protected from the risk of infection: People were not adequately protected from the risk of infection. There were gaps in the home's arrangements to promote and sustain good standards of cleanliness and infection control.

People should be given the medicines they need when they need them and in a safe way: People's health and wellbeing was at risk because medication was not being managed safely.

People should be cared for in safe and accessible surroundings that support their health and welfare: Accommodation provided to people was of a poor standard and did not meet the needs of people who lived at the home.

People should have their complaints listened to and acted on properly: People using the service were not confident that any concerns they raised would be dealt with properly.

People's personal records, including medical records, should be accurate and kept safe and confidential: People did not have their personal and confidential information appropriately managed. There were significant gaps in the quality and security of personal information.

Sue McMillan, Regional Director for CQC in the North West, says: “The care at St Catherine’s Care Home is nowhere near good enough. The law says these essential standards are what that everyone should be able to expect when they receive care – what we have seen at this home is failure to meet these standards across a number of areas, which is simply unacceptable.

“It is quite clear that the provider, Tameng Care Limited, have a lot of work to do. Standards require significant improvement and we will continue to monitor this service very closely to ensure this happens. If we do not see rapid evidence of improvement, we are likely to take enforcement action to protect the safety and welfare of people.”

Ends

For media enquires, please contact David Fryer on 07901 514220, CQC press office on 0207 448 9401 or out of hours on 07917 232 143.

Notes to editors