The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated High Mount in Telford, Shropshire, inadequate, and placed it in special measures following an inspection in April.
High Mount, which is ran by Green Square Accord Limited, provides accommodation and personal care to people living with a learning disability.
The inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service and inspectors looked at the areas of safe and well-led.
Following the inspection, the overall rating for the home, as well as the areas of safe and well-led, went down from requires improvement to inadequate.
The service has been placed in special measures which means it will be kept under review and, if CQC do not propose to cancel the provider's registration, there will be a re-inspection within six months to check for significant improvements.
Rebecca Bauers, CQC’s director for people with a learning disability and autistic people said:
“When we inspected High Mount, it was disappointing and a concern to see a deterioration in the quality of care being provided.
“We were concerned that care records were poorly managed, with some containing out of date or conflicting, inconsistent information which placed people at risk of not receiving appropriate care and support to meet their needs. Leaders must focus their attention on improving this area as a priority.
“Staff did not always give people food or fluids that were appropriate to meeting need and we found care plans and risk assessments were not always monitored and updated which placed people at risk of avoidable harm. For example, some people at risk of choking weren’t being given appropriate thickened fluids, and others at high risk of weight loss or falls weren’t being monitored or supported effectively.
“We also found environmental risks which could place people at harm. We saw insecure hygiene waste in the grounds at the home, and hazardous items like cleaning products and insect repellent not stored securely meaning people could easily access them.
“However, we did see some positive areas of care. Relatives told us the provider was proactive in involving them with updates and regular telephone calls about their loved ones.
“We will continue to monitor the service closely to ensure significant and urgent improvements are made. If we are not assured people are receiving safe care, we will not hesitate to take further enforcement action to ensure people are receiving the high standard of care they deserve.”
Inspectors found:
- People weren’t always supported by enough staff, this meant care was not always person centred to maximise people's choice
- The provider failed to ensure the governance systems in place were always effective in delivering high quality care and support
- People's care plans weren’t always updated to reflect changes to people’s needs and conditions
- Safety checks weren’t always completed by staff, which meant we couldn’t be assured that equipment being used was safe, and in working order
- Reviews and investigations were not always thorough as we found confusion with dates and actions taken following incidents
- Medicines were not always given as directed by the manufacturer's instructions.