‘Cumbrian care home still failing residents’ – report

A Cumbrian nursing home is still failing to look after its residents properly – four months after social care inspectors ordered bosses to shape up.

The Care Quality Commission made a surprise visit to Branthwaite Nursing Home, Workington, in January.

Inspectors said care was not meeting minimum standards and owners agreed to address the issues.

But a report detailing the CQC’s follow up visit has revealed that care is still lacking and Branthwaite has been given a zero star rating.

The CQC sent out a questionnaire to staff, residents, relatives and health care professionals.

Although some positive feedback was received, it was mixed in with complaints.

One person commented: “Residents need to look more cared for. Very often they have stained clothes, maybe a jumper or cardigan with no clothes on top or underneath, hair not combed. Often they just look wasted. I am sorry for the good caring staff who do their very best. To be fair there are sometimes not enough staff to deal with the different needs of people in the home.”

One resident wrote: “I have great difficulty in communication and I feel that carers are now taking advantage of this fact. I cannot get my point across so get ignored as a consequence.”

A family member reported that their relative had gone without breakfast on occasions because carers were so busy they forgot.

Poor staff training has once more been highlighted by the CQC.

The home advertises itself as a dementia specialist but inspectors found ‘significant’ training gaps in: health and safety; dementia awareness and challenging behaviour; first aid; infection control; basic food awareness; moving and handling; control of hazardous substances.

Staff have to take unpaid leave in order to learn how to look after vulnerable residents.

This was raised in the last CQC report and so the watchdog has now recommended that staff are paid for training days and nurses are given enough time off to maintain clinical practice.

Other criticisms included management of medication, the monitoring of residents charts and standards of cleanliness.

The CQC also found that employees were allowed to start work before background and Criminal Records Bureau checks were complete.

There has been some improvement since the last inspection.

A number of the residents care plans are of better quality, parts of the home have been refurbished and efforts are being made to make sure all shifts are covered on most days.

Although there is not always the right mix of experience or competence.

Branthwaite is owned by the Care Executive Group.

The company refused to comment on whether it would now pay staff to be trained. But a spokesperson for PR firm it uses said was ‘very disappointed’ by the rating. She added: “Many of our residents and families are very satisfied with our service and have kindly taken the time to give the home their full support.

“We strive to ensure that we listen to all of our residents and their families to meet their needs and wishes whilst giving our staff and manager full support.

“We are providing the council and CQC with regular updates of our progress in relation to our action plan.”

Cumbria County Council suspended new admissions to Branthwaite following its own investigations, which began shortly before the CQC stepped in.

The ban is still in place, a county council spokesman said progress on an action plan for the home is being closely monitored.