Care home manager removed from Register over lack of competence and misconduct

Mrs Debbie Lloyd, who did not attend the hearing in Mold, faced a number of charges relating to the time she was acting manager of Allerton Lodge Care Home between June and December 2016.

The charges included failing to put in place arrangements to prevent harm or abuse to the residents; not respecting the dignity of service users; failing to manage the way in which medicines were administered; not eliminating unnecessary risks to health and safety; failing to review and improve the quality of care; and not making suitable arrangements for safely moving and handling people.

The hearing was given oral evidence by an inspector from Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW), who conducted inspections at the home in November and December 2016. 

The hearing heard that during her visit to the home on 13 December, the CIW inspector herself had to take steps to get medical attention for one of the residents, who was later diagnosed with a chest infection and prescribed antibiotics. During the same visit, the CIW inspector had concerns about another resident who had not received their prescribed medication for a number of days because there was no stock at the home. 

On her visit to the home the previous month, the CIW inspector noticed that lunch was served on side plates rather than dinner plates. Her view was that the food was also of poor quality, with not enough of it being available for the number of people at the home. 

Explaining its decision to remove Mrs Lloyd from the Register, the committee said: “This is a case where there has been a significant pattern of unacceptable performance by Mrs Lloyd, leading to our conclusion that her fitness to practise is impaired. She did not understand her shortcomings as a manager at the time. She has produced no evidence that she has reflected on the circumstances and developed any understanding or insight. 

“There is substantial and unalleviated risk of repetition. In such circumstances, confidence in the social care profession would be undermined by allowing her to remain on the Register. We have therefore determined that a removal order is the necessary sanction in Mrs Lloyd’s case.”

_{Picture (c) Yui Mok / PA Wire.}