CQC rates Sutton-in-Ashfield care home inadequate

A care service in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, has again been rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and will be placed in special measures, following an inspection carried out in November and December.

The Stoneyford Care Home, run by Stoneyford Sc Ltd, is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to up to 58 people. The service provides support to adults, some of whom were living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 33 people living at the service.

This is Stoneyford Care Home's first inspection under new management. It was prompted in part due to concerns received about staffing and the delivery and planning of person-centred care.

Following this inspection, the home has been rated inadequate overall as well as for being safe and well-led. The ratings for how effective, caring and responsive the home is, have been rated requires improvement.

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, even if this results in the closure of the service.

Amanda Lyndon, CQC deputy director of operations in the midlands, said:

"When we inspected Stoneyford Care Home, it was concerning to see the lack of strong leadership displayed by the new provider and the culture they created didn't assure the delivery of high-quality care.

"Relatives and staff told us there was a culture of blame within the home. Staff also said leaders were defensive when concerns were raised and staff were often spoken down to.

"People told us they didn't feel safe living in the home as they sometimes had to wait more than an hour for someone to check on them after pushing their call bell, even if it was an emergency. Leaders need to urgently ensure there are enough staff to meet people's needs as this is putting people at risk of harm.

"We found the lack of activities and meaningful contact with others meant people spent a lot of time on their own. This didn't promote a positive or person-centred culture. One person told us they'd like to spend time outside in the garden and another would like to go into the community but when we spoke with management, they said they weren't aware of this.

"Additionally, we saw the home had recently been renovated and everyone seemed to be happy with the changes, however, the home still wasn't clean enough to control and prevent the spread of infections. For example, we found bits of food in chairs in communal lounge communal lounge and shower chairs which were stained with faeces.

"The level of care being provided is unacceptable so we have told Stoneyford Care Home 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:

• People and relatives weren't involved in developing and reviewing their care
• Risk assessments didn't fully identify or mitigate risk. This meant that staff did not have the required information to support people in a safe manner or in line with their wishes
• People and relatives told us they had raised incidents and complaints with the registered manager and the provider, but limited action had been taken and their concerns had not been fully addressed or formally responded to
• Staff we spoke with told us the home had changed since the new provider had taken over and this had adversely impacted the care people received.

However,

• People and relatives praised the staff for their kindness
• The home had recently undergone some renovations and people and staff were positive about these changes.

The report will be published on CQC's website in the next few days.

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