The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated Silverdale Nursing Home in Newcastle- under-Lyme, Staffordshire, inadequate and placed it in special measures following an inspection in April.
The inspection was carried out partly due to concerns received about risk management and people being unlawfully restricted at the home.
Silverdale Nursing Home provides accommodation and personal care for up to 27 people, including those living with dementia.
Following this inspection, the overall care home rating has dropped from good to inadequate and the service has been placed in special measures. The service was also rated inadequate for being safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.
Amanda Lyndon, CQC’s head of adult social care inspection, said:
“When we inspected Silverdale Nursing Home, we found a service where the standard of care had deteriorated significantly since our last inspection. People’s safety and wellbeing needs weren’t being met, some staff were uncaring, and risks weren’t being effectively managed.
“People told us they weren’t treated with respect or kindness and their individual needs weren’t considered. They said they were often ignored by staff or spoken to in a rude and unfriendly manner.
“It was upsetting to see that people weren’t supported to take part in any meaningful activities and one person said they hadn’t been outside for two years, whilst another said they felt like a prisoner in the home. This is unacceptable.
“It was also concerning that several people had experienced unintended weight loss and no action had been taken to address this which placed them at risk of harm. People’s dietary preferences weren’t catered for and one person who was a vegetarian had been given meat to eat.
“Staff turnover was high and new starters weren’t safely recruited or given appropriate training or supervision. Existing managers and staff were unclear of their roles and responsibilities.
“The provider had employed consultants prior to our inspection who were working on an action plan to make improvements. Their input was positive and focused on improving outcomes for people, but they hadn’t been there long enough for us to see significant changes to be implemented.
“We will continue to monitor Silverdale Nursing Home closely to ensure people are safe. If we are not assured people are receiving safe care, we will not hesitate to take action.”
Inspectors found:
- Risks were not mitigated against the spread of infection. There was a sickness and diarrhoea outbreak on the first day of inspection. The registered manager was aware, but no action had been taken to isolate those who were symptomatic.
- The fire service had identified concerns around fire safety at a previous visit including where a fire escape gate in the garden was locked. We found no action had been taken and the garden gate was still locked at the time of inspection.
- People’s medicines were not always stored safely. For example, one person’s insulin was administered to them after it had been stored outside of the fridge for seven weeks. The insulin box stated that the medicine should not be stored outside of the fridge for longer than four weeks.
- People were supported by a high number of agency staff who had not had adequate checks prior to commencing work.
- Systems in place did not safeguard people from the risk of abuse.
- Staff turnover was high and the agency staff supporting people was inconsistent. This meant they did not always know people well to be able to meet their needs safely.
- People’s nutritional and fluid intake records lacked detail and did not record what specific food people had eaten.
- People lived in a home that was not adapted to meet their needs. For example, minimal adaptions had been made to the home to support people living with dementia with orientation.