Banbury care home found to have serious failings
Fairholme House has been rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission
A care home in Banbury has been put into special measures after it was found to have serious failings.
Fairholme House has been rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission after it was found poor leadership created unsafe conditions for the people living there.
The residential care home provides care for up to 22 elderly people, some with dementia.
People living there say they felt disempowered and frustrated.
The service failed in four areas including providing people with person centred care, need for consent, safe care and treatment, and good management of the service.
The inspection found there to be fire safety concerns, as a fire drill had not been carried out once in the past two years.
One person's fire door had been propped open with a chair, meaning it wouldn't have closed during a fire.
Inspectors also heard comments from people living there such as, "I don't think the staff are well-trained. I don't think there are enough staff".
The staff were found to be inappropriately trained, with some unable to administer medication.
There were also no medicine competency checks in place to ensure staff could administer medicine properly.
Roger James, CQC’s deputy director of operations in Oxfordshire, said:
“During our inspection of Fairholme House, we found poor leadership had created unsafe conditions for the people living there. Leaders didn’t make sure systems were in place to protect them from harm, and they failed to identify or act on risks that put people in danger.
"As a result, staff practices didn’t always promote dignity, privacy, or autonomy, and people’s right to make choices about their daily lives wasn’t respected.
“We also saw that care records were incomplete and didn’t reflect their current needs, wishes, and preferences. One person told us they had to wait for long periods of time to leave their room, while another described not being offered a choice of when to bathe.
"These restrictions left people feeling frustrated, disempowered, and at times unsafe in a place they should’ve been able to call home.
“Leaders didn’t ensure staff had the training, knowledge, or supervision they needed to deliver safe and effective care. This meant staff were unclear about how to manage risks such as falls, swallowing difficulties, or safeguarding concerns. In some cases, incidents weren’t recorded, reviewed, or acted upon, which meant opportunities to prevent future harm were missed.
“We expect health and social care services to guarantee people’s safety, dignity, independence, and choice.
"It was unacceptable that this service failed to provide even the most basic standards of care and left people at risk of avoidable harm. We told leaders they must take immediate action to address these concerns. We will return to check on the home’s progress and won’t hesitate to use our regulatory powers further, if people still aren’t receiving the care they have a right to expect.”
A spokesperson for the home said, "We take the CQC’s findings seriously and are already making strong progress under a detailed improvement plan.
"We’ve strengthened leadership oversight, reviewed all care plans and training, and are working closely with the local authority to ensure every resident receives safe, compassionate, and person-centred care.
"The wellbeing and safety of our residents has always been, and will remain, our top priority.”