Norfolk care home rated inadequate and placed into special measures
The Care Quality Commission has dropped the overall rating of Downham Grange Care Home in West Norfolk
Last updated 23rd Aug 2023
A care home in Norfolk has been rated inadequate and placed into special measures after inspections this summer.
The Care Quality Commission has dropped the overall rating of Downham Grange Care Home in Downham Market from requires improvement to inadequate, after inspections in June and July.
Its ratings for how safe and well-led it is, have also fallen to inadequate.
However, how effective, caring and responsive the home was was not looked at this time, so its rating remains 'good'.
This all means Downham Grange will be kept under close review and re-inspected to check on the progress of improvements.
Gill Hodgson-Reilly, CQC’s deputy director for the East of England, said:
“When we inspected Downham Grange we were concerned to find a home where health and hygiene were not prioritised.
"We found equipment, such as crash mats, wheelchairs, pressure cushions and items of furniture were visibly unclean, some people’s bedrooms had malodour, and some flooring and surfaces were damaged, impacting on the ability to keep these areas clean.
“Some people were not being protected from risk of harm, with items such as razors and cleaning tablets not securely stored in some of the rooms. This was of particular risk for those people living with dementia, who relied on the staff to maintain their safety.
"What food and drink people had consumed was not well recorded, which is a particular risk to people with diabetes who need to eat and drink regularly to stay healthy.
“We also found that people didn’t always get the medication they needed, with medicines running out and not being reordered and some creams out of date but still being used.
"There were also gaps in recording medicine use, which the home has since assured us they are working with GPs and pharmacies to resolve.
“Although staff were responsive to people’s needs, the home was regularly understaffed, which was particularly concerning at night-time where there was often one instead of two nurses available to deal with people’s complex medical needs.
“We are considering what further regulatory action to take to keep people safe and we will report on this when we are able to.”
Inspectors also found:
People did not always receive support from suitably trained staff.
New staff were not receiving thorough inductions and support.
As there was no registered manager at the time of the inspection, the provider should have been providing oversight of the service, which inspectors found lacking.
Some people had unclean fingernails, and there was a lack of records to show people’s nails or teeth were being regularly cleaned.
People with risks of developing pressure sores or at risk of chocking were poorly managed.
However:
People and their relatives told the CQC they felt safe living at the service.
The CQC saw staff were responsive to people, for example if they were upset or needing reassurance.
People were able to spend time with relatives and friends inside and outside of the service, as well as accessing the local community.
"We are swiftly implementing the necessary changes"
Kingsley Healthcare, who run the facility, said in a statement:
"We are proud to have operated Downham Grange as a luxury, purpose-built care home for over a decade, building the trust and support of the local community in that time.
"We are therefore disappointed by shortcomings highlighted in our latest CQC report but want to give a firm assurance that these have been treated as valuable lessons by the care home staff and wider Kingsley team.
"We are swiftly implementing the necessary changes, ensuring they are embedded in our practices, to ensure we continue to provide the high quality care our residents and their families expect.
"However, we disagree with a number of points raised by the inspectors and feel that their overall inadequate rating is unfairly harsh and does not accurately reflect the level of care we pride ourselves on delivering. The home is still rated good in the categories of effective, caring and responsive.
"We want to apologise for any anxiety or distress the report has caused to residents and families but can give the reassurance that none of the identified shortcomings has caused harm to any resident.
"The inspectors' visit came during a difficult time of management transition at the home but we now have a new team in place and a full complement of staff. We welcome people to visit Downham Grange and assure themselves about the quality of the home and the standard of care.
"We have already held positive meetings with residents, their families and stakeholders and to ensure transparency and openness, we are providing weekly updates on the progress of our changes to residents and their families. We welcome anyone who has any concerns to visit the home and satisfy themselves on the quality of our service."