‘Understaffed’ Lofthouse care home in special measures after report found safety was at risk
Concerns were also raised in relation to safeguarding incidents and management of medication
Last updated 30th Jul 2025
A Wakefield care home which looks after 82 residents, including some with dementia, has been placed into special measures after being rated as inadequate by the healthcare watchdog.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said inspectors were sent to West Ridings Care Home, in Lofthouse, after receiving reports relating to the management of the facility and risks to people’s care not being well managed.
Concerns were also raised in relation to safeguarding incidents, management of medication and staffing levels.
The home, run by Advinia Care Homes Limited, provides support to adults living with dementia, mental health illnesses or physical disability.
A report, issued following the inspection in May this year, said residents’ safety was put at risk due to medicines not being managed safely.
Inspectors found staff did not always have the time to support people living with dementia when they ate meals.
The CQC also said the home “didn’t use systems to record and monitor accidents and incidents effectively” and that leaders “didn’t support people to access timely care from their GP and dietitians.”
According to the report, the service “didn’t always manage people’s risk of falls effectively” to help prevent them from coming to harm.
The home’s leaders were praised in the report for their management of infection risks.
Residents and their relatives also gave positive feedback about the cleanliness of the home.
Risks were identified at a previous inspection carried out in 2023, when the home, on Lingwell Gate Lane, was found to be in breach of regulations related to management and safety.
The latest inspection found the provider was still in breach of those regulations as well as new ones regarding care and staffing.
The operators of the home will now be required to make a series of improvements and will be closely monitored during a structured time-frame.
Linda Hirst, CQC deputy director of operations in the north, said: “We were disappointed to find that the quality of care had deteriorated since our previous visit.
“Leaders didn’t always have a grasp of issues at the home, meaning people didn’t always receive safe care and treatment as they didn’t know what improvements were needed.
“Our experience also tells us that when a home isn’t well-led, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to meet people’s needs in other areas, which is what we found here.
“Leaders didn’t investigate or report safety concerns. During the inspection, we identified several safeguarding issues which hadn’t been reported to appropriate external organisations.
“One related to someone being physically abused by another person living at the home while in the communal area.”
Ms Hirst said staff and residents raised concerns about unsafe staffing levels, which meant people’s basic care needs went unmet.
She added: “During our visit someone told us that staff don’t have time to talk to them, which makes them feel sad.
“This is totally unacceptable and people living at West Ridings deserve better care.
“However, despite these understaffing issues, people and relatives told us that staff were kind when they did have time to speak to them.
“Leaders need to support staff to have the time to meet the social needs of residents as well as their physical needs.
“We have told leaders where we expect to see rapid improvements and will continue to monitor the home closely to keep people safe while this happens.
“We will return to check on their progress and won’t hesitate to use our regulatory powers further if this doesn’t happen.”
Rachel Bowes, Wakefield Council’s corporate director for adults and health, said: “West Ridings Care Home is an independently run care home that has fallen below the care quality standards we expect for their residents.
“I’d like to assure residents and their families that the council and our partners are working with the provider to support their improvement work.
“The CQC is monitoring improvement activity in line with their regulatory responsibilities.
“Everyone is focused on making sure residents at West Ridings Care Home receive the safe and appropriate level of care they are entitled to.
Advinia Care Homes Limited has been approached for comment.