Mansfield care home for people with learning disabilities rated ‘inadequate’

Manswick Care Home was caring for three people when it was visited by Care Quality Commission inspectors on June 28.

Now the health watchdog’s newly published report has revealed the private home, on Oakland Road, was rated inadequate in three out of five areas – safe, effective or well-led. It was rated good in the areas of caring and responsive.

Inspectors found six instances where the home, owned by Milton Keynes-based Rhodsac Community Living, was in breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and four warning notices were issued to the provider.

The report stated: “People were at risk of and had experienced abuse from others, because staff did not know how to protect people from poor care and abuse.

“We saw recorded incidents between people where one person verbally abused another. The registered manager and staff had not reported this to the local authority safeguarding team and had not notified CQC.”

The report said some people who lived at the home were ‘being deprived of their liberty’, but ‘information was not always available to explain why restrictions were in place’.

Staff told inspectors they had used a ‘restraint belt’ to control one person, but the report added: “We found no corresponding care plan, risk assessment or any other form of agreement to use this equipment.

“This was not in line with current good practice, as providers need to ensure restrictive practices are only used when necessary, are proportionate to the risk of harm and used as a last resort.”

Since a previous inspection – the home was told it requires improvement last year – medicines had been moved to more secure storage, but they were being stored at the wrong temperature.

Inspectors found care plans did not always reflect people’s needs. One person had more than 30 different support plans and the lack of clear guidance ‘increased the risk of people not receiving consistent support when they wereexperiencing distress’.

The report stated people lived in a clean and well-furnished environment and bedrooms were spacious and clean, adding: “All people we spoke with told us they were happy living at the service.”

Manswick Care Home did not respond to a request for comment.