The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has told the provider of Gables Care Home in Woking, to make urgent improvements, following an inspection in June.
Gables Care Home is a care home providing accommodation and personal care to seven people aged 65 and older with a mental health diagnosis, dementia and a learning disability.
The inspection took place to check to see if the provider had made sufficient improvements following the previous inspection.
Following the inspection, the ratings for the service remain unchanged. It is rated inadequate overall, inadequate for being safe, effective and well-led, and requires improvement for being caring and responsive.
Hazel Roberts, CQC’s head of inspection for adult social care, said:
“When we inspected Gables Care Home, we were very concerned to find the provider and staff hadn’t been properly trained. Staff also told us they hadn’t read people’s care plans, so unless the provider told them what support was needed, they had no idea how to care for people.
“Even if they had read the care plans, they lacked important information and weren’t always accurate. For example, one person’s plan said their mental health had been stable since they moved into the home. Yet records showed there was a period when they frequently called paramedics and the police while they were at the service. The provider should have carried out a risk assessment to review their mental health and developed guidance for staff to help them deal with it.
“We also found unnecessary restrictions were being placed on people. Some people weren’t allowed to go in the kitchen, even though there was no evidence to show there was a risk they could harm themselves or anyone else. One person was also unable to go out of the home without a member of staff. They told us they didn’t like being restricted and found it embarrassing. Another person said they were told to go to bed early as a punishment for going into the kitchen to get a drink. They told us they felt they were being treated like a child.
“We have now told the provider of the service to make urgent improvements. We will continue to monitor the service closely in conjunction with the local authority to ensure sufficient improvements are made. If necessary, we will take further action to ensure people are safe.”
Inspectors found the following during this inspection:
- The provider and staff had not received adequate training and supervision in relation to their role. Staff had not always been supported to understand and fulfil their expected roles and responsibilities
- Risks to people were not always assessed, monitored and managed safely. There was no formal recording of people's behaviours to look for trends and themes
- The management of medicines required some improvements around competency assessments and correct processes in place when errors had occurred
- There was a lack of meaningful activities for people and staff lacked an understanding of people's needs
- Care plans lacked detailed guidance and information on people's backgrounds and family history. There were no end of life care plans in place
- People were not always being treated in a caring and dignified way and people's choices were at times restricted
- Quality assurance and governance systems were not effective in making sure risks to people were managed safely.