A care service in Pontefract, has been rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and placed in special measures to protect people, following an inspection carried out in January.
Springfield Grange, run by Portland Care 6 Limited, is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 80 people. At the time of our inspection there were 49 people using the service.
The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received regarding the quality of care people were receiving, medicines administration and leadership of the service.
Following this inspection, the home’s overall rating has dropped from requires improvement to inadequate as has its ratings for being safe and well-led. Its ratings for being effective and caring have gone from good to requires improvement and how responsive it is has dropped from good to inadequate.
The service has been placed in special measures, which means it will be kept under close review by CQC to keep people safe and it will continue to monitor to check sufficient improvements are being made. If CQC doesn’t see rapid and widespread improvements, further action will be taken.
Sheila Grant, CQC deputy director of operations in the north, said:
“When we inspected Springfield Grange, it was concerning to see the lack of strong leadership displayed by the provider, Portland Care 6 Limited and the culture they created didn’t provide high-quality care.
“We found that the provider didn’t identify, review or action risks to people. One person had 13 incidents where medical assistance was needed, but staff didn’t seek medical guidance. There were no details in the person's care plan to explain why this didn’t happen. This put people at risk of avoidable harm.
“We saw staff giving someone medication without their knowledge by putting it into their food. There was nothing in their care records saying this was safe. Following a conversation we had with the member of staff, the manager confirmed with a pharmacist that the person should know when they’re taking medicine.
“We found that people weren’t always treated well or supported with personal care. One person’s care plan said they needed support with oral care; however, staff hadn’t done this for eight days. A relative of another person was concerned their loved one’s hair looked like it hadn’t been washed in some time.
“Additionally, we found people weren’t supported to develop and maintain relationships. There weren’t any activities scheduled for people to take part in, instead people were sat around, not communicating with others. A relative said the provider promised regular activities when people came to the home, but this hadn’t happened.
"We have told Springfield Grange where we expect to see rapid and widespread improvements and will continue to monitor them closely to keep people safe while this happens. We will return to check on their progress and won’t hesitate to take action if people are not receiving the care they have a right to expect.”
Inspectors found:
- We found people were not supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in a restrictive way and not always in their best interests
- Medicines administration was not safely recorded, and medicines were not always stored safely
- Complaints received were not always investigated, and the necessary and proportionate action was not taken in response to any failure
- We found systems or processes were not in place and operated effectively to monitor and improve the quality and safety of the services provided. Risks were not always assessed, monitored, and mitigated
- We found staff had not had regular supervisions and appraisals had not been completed in 2023
- Not all staff had completed all mandatory training
- We received mixed feedback about the quality of care provided from both people who lived at the service and relatives.
The report will be published on CQC’s website in the next few days.