Nursing home rated 'inadequate' by inspectors for second time
A CARE home which supports older people including some with dementia and physical disabilities has again been rated as inadequate by inspectors.
Colbury House nursing home in Hill Street, Calmore, is registered to care for up to 58 older residents and it currently has 49 living there.
As previously reported in the A&T, when the Care Quality Commission (CQC) visited in December 2017 it found the provider was in breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.
Levels of cleanliness were criticised, along with a lack of training for staff and ineffective quality monitoring systems in place to ensure on-going compliance with the regulations.
The CQC issued requirement notices in respect of the breaches and an action plan was submitted by the home outlining what steps would be taken to meet them.
However, during an unannounced three-day visit in December 2018, inspectors found that insufficient action had been taken to meet two of the directives.
“At this inspection we found insufficient action had been taken to address the concerns in relation to effective quality monitoring systems,” said the report.
“During the inspection we found that although the registered manager had improved the quality assurance processes for the day-to-day running of the service, support and oversight by the provider was insufficient.”
The report added: “At the last inspection in December 2017 the provider had failed to ensure staff received such appropriate support, training, supervision or appraisal as is necessary to enable them to carry out the duties they are employed to perform.
“At this inspection we found insufficient action had been taken to address the concerns in relation to staff training.”
Although the home supports people living with dementia, older people and people with physical disabilities, not all staff had received training in these specialisms. However, mandatory training for staff had been completed and was up-to-date.
While training for staff in dementia, dignity and person-centred care had increased from 35% to 90% since the last inspection, other areas specific to people the service supported had not improved or had declined.
For example, training in nutrition and hydration had only increased from 9% to 13%, end-of-life care from 9% to 18%, while training in continence care had decreased from 23% to 13% and training in dysphagia, the medical term for swallowing difficulties, had decreased from 23% to 11%.
CQC inspectors ruled that the service was not consistently well-led and wrote in the report: “Oversight and actions of the registered provider had not been sufficient to support the registered manager and make the required improvements identified at the previous inspections.
“The registered manager worked in partnership with other organisations to make sure they were following current practice and to improve and ensure sustainability in the service.”
The report said appropriate steps had been taken to protect people from the risk of abuse, neglect or harassment, and residents were supported by staff who knew them well.
The report stated that residents, their relatives and staff told inspectors the registered manager was supportive and approachable. Residents’ privacy and dignity was observed as being respected and food served at the home considered dietary needs and preferences.
The home must now draw up an action plan to explain how it will meet the requirements of the CQC. A spokesperson for the home was unavailable for comment.
