Warning issued to Warsop care home after failing to meet legal standards in safe care and treatment

Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) issued the warning to The Sycamores and The Poplars following an inspection in which the facility was given an overall “requires improvement” rating.

Of the five areas inspected the home was give “requires improvement” in the safe, effective and well-led categories. The caring and responsive categories were judged to be ‘good’.

The warning was issued on June 19 following an inspection on June 18 at the residential home that provides care to adults including those with dementia.

The report states: “We found breaches of the legal regulation in relation to safe care and treatment, person centred care and quality monitoring and governance.”

inspectors raised concerns about safety in the facility stating: “Some aspects of the service were not always safe and there was limited assurance about safety. There was an increased risk that people could be harmed.”

This was the first time the home had been inspected under the current provider Lentulus Properties Limited.

The report also criticised the learning culture at the facility stating: “The provider had failed to act on feedback from people and external professionals, and concerns raised previously by the local authority remained evident during this assessment. These included issues relating to the quality of care, planning and the lack of meaningful interactions and stimulation for people.

“The continued presence of these concerns showed the provider had not learned lessons from earlier feedback or taken sufficient steps to prevent recurrence. There was no evidence that learning had been communicated to staff or embedded into practice. As a result, the same shortfalls persisted and continued to impact people’s experience of care.”

Highlighting concerns relating to safeguarding inspectors found the provider did not always “concentrate on improving people’s lives or protecting their right to live in safety, free from bullying, harassment, abuse, discrimination, avoidable harm and neglect. The provider did not always share concerns quickly and appropriately.”

Staff were also criticised for not consistently providing care that was “safe, supportive or enabled people to do the things that mattered to them.”

However, inspectors did praise staff for treating people with “kindness, empathy and compassion”.

The report said: “Staff demonstrated warm and considerate interactions, and people told us they felt valued and cared for.”

Inspectors highlighted that the registered manager had taken an extended period of leave and had recently returned to the home.

The report added: “On their return, they took immediate steps to make improvements within the service and to enhance people’s experience of care. This included reviewing care plans, strengthening oversight processes, and beginning work to address the shortfalls identified during the assessment.”

Addressing the experience of residents inspectors said although most people and their relatives said they felt safe living at the home people said “their care was not always delivered in line with their wishes.”

The report added: “People consistently told us they lacked stimulation within the home. They said activities were not offered consistently and that there were long periods with nothing meaningful to do. Many people described feeling “bored” and said this had a negative impact on their wellbeing.”

The care home has been contacted for comment.