Care watchdog demands improvements at nursing home

Urgent improvements have been demanded at a care home near Bath after two critical inspections by an official watchdog.

The Care Quality Commission has warned the owner of The Laurels Nursing Home at Timsbury that it is failing to protect the safety and welfare of people.

The formal warning to European Care comes after concern over the lack of bathrooms, the feeding of residents and the risk of pressure ulcers.

The firm now says it has taken action on all the issues raised by the commission, whose latest visit came unannounced on September 13.

On that visit, inspectors found that inadequate care planning and assessments put the 36 residents at risk of not being provided with appropriate care and support to meet their needs.

They concluded that people were not being encouraged to shift position regularly, increasing the risk of pressure ulcer development.

The team also said that residents’ food and fluid intake was not being adequately monitored and added: “Staff were not supporting people who required help to maintain their nutritional input. Some people did not receive diet or fluids for long periods of time.”

The CQC says it will be following up the findings of both visits.

CQC regional director Ian Biggs said: “The law says that these are the standards that everyone should be able to expect. Providers have a duty to ensure they are compliant

“This warning sends a clear and public message that European Care needs to address this issue as a matter of urgency or face serious consequences.

“Our inspectors will return to The Laurels in the near future and if we find that European Care is not making the required progress we won’t hesitate to use our legal powers to protect the people who live there.”

The regulator can restrict the services offered by a care provider or, as a last resort, stop them providing services.

The latest visit followed one in August, when inspectors responding to concern from a relative raised worries over the lack of a permanent manager, bathing arrangements and feeding.

They reported that residents were “very complimentary” about staff, who were said to be “lovely” and “very kind” but that there were not always enough employees on duty to meet people’s needs.

The team also reported that all the residents it observed having lunch were wearing clothing protectors referred to as “bibs”, which it said did not respect choice or dignity.

They found that residents’ hygiene needs were being met but that at that time there was only one functioning bathroom and that people wanted the opportunity to have a bath or shower more often.

The firm was supposed to have put a manager in place by April, but there was still none in August, according to the commission.

The Laurels opened in 1984 and was taken over by European Care in May 2003.

European Care Group vice-chairman David Perry said: “The group acknowledges receipt of the notice from the CQC and confirms that all issues have been actioned so as to ensure compliance with regulations and best practice.”

The firm is the fifth largest provider of social care in the UK, caring for around 4,500 people.