Norfolk care home placed into special measures after inspection
Inspectors found the home didn't have enough staff at night time to keep people safe
A care home for people with autism and learning disabilities in Norfolk has been placed into special measures.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) says it carried out an inspection of 8 Acres, in Attleborough, in June 2024.
Whilst there, inspectors found people there weren't living in a clean, well maintained environment - they also didn't have enough staff at night time to keep people safe.
As well as the home’s overall rating dropping from requires improvement to inadequate, so have the home’s ratings for being safe and well-led.
The CQC also noted that not all quality statements were assessed for effective, caring and responsive, meaning their ratings remain as requires improvement, and will be reviewed at the next inspection of the home.
What else did inspectors find?
Inspectors found:
• Staff were reporting and alerting senior staff and the registered manager to safeguarding concerns, but this information was not then being reported onto relevant external professionals including CQC to safeguard people.
• People were not consistently supported to live meaningful, inclusive lives, and were not living in a clean, well-maintained environment.
• Staff employed from overseas were found to be kind and caring, however, they did not always have a good understanding of English and had poor communication due to this. Some relatives also confirmed language barriers impacted on their ability to speak with staff by telephone to source updates or information.
• Condition specific assessments relating to risks were not in place, even though records showed healthcare professionals had discussed the importance of these being put in place by the service.
There were some positives though:
• Staff told us they liked working at the service and recognised the importance their role played to the lives of people living at the service.
• Staff felt the care home grounds offered lots of opportunities to immerse people in wildlife and the countryside.
The home will now be kept under close review to make sure people are safe whilst improvements are made.
In response to the report, a spokesperson for the home said: “We are extremely disappointed with the conclusions drawn by the CQC in this report, particularly as we provided very detailed representations to them regarding the issues raised following their inspection in June 2024.
"Furthermore, the CQC has acknowledged that they did not assess the service using the full range of quality statements that they ought to have. Consequently, we question the validity of what is being suggested about the quality of the service.
"Nevertheless, we wish to reiterate our unwavering commitment to the people we support, their families, and other stakeholders in delivering the best outcomes for everyone at 8 Acres. We will continue to collaborate with them to achieve this, and we thank them for their ongoing hard work and support during this time.“