Elderly ‘institutionalised’ in the Leicester City Council’s care homes

Leicester City Council’s care homes are falling short, an independent inspection has found.

A report compiled by the Social Care Association (SCA) found that worker morale was low, residents’ routines were institutionalised, poor staff were never reprimanded and more than half of the homes smelled unpleasant.

Staff interviewed as part of the process criticised how some of the homes were managed.

One anonymous worker quoted in the SCA’s report said: “Budgets are always overspent. Even at the beginning of the year. No-one takes any action.”

Another, speaking about under-performing staff, said: “I have never known anyone to be sacked by Leicester City Council in the time I have worked for them.”

Visits were carried out by the independent SCA on behalf of the council between February and May last year. The report of its findings was published in July last year, and leaked to a public sector magazine late last week.

The council released the full report to the Mercury on Monday.

The report said: “Over half the homes experienced malodours [unpleasant smells] and used incontinence pads on lounge chairs.

“This practice indicates that all residents are treated the same and their individual needs in respect of continence is not taken into consideration.”

On staff morale, the report stated: “Most staff groups stated that their motivation and morale was at an all-time low.”

Some relatives of residents disagreed with the report.

Joan Roberts, who has a 98-year-old mum, Elsie Webster, in Abbey House, off Groby Road, said: “It’s no wonder staff morale is low given how much uncertainty there has been about the future of the care homes.

“But claims that residents’ routines are poor, and that the homes smell, are wide of the mark. My mother always tells me how grateful she is for the care provided by Abbey House.”

The council has previously considered closing or selling six of its eight homes, but earlier this month it announced it was delaying a decision on the future of the homes for at least two years.

Since the announcement was made in 2009, the Mercury has received several letters from relatives who have praised the care homes and called for them not to be sold.

The daughter of a resident in Cooper House, in Eyres Monsell, who did not want to be named, said: “The report seems very harsh.”

The council said issues raised by the report had since been dealt with, and that standards had improved. Interim social care director Deb Watson said: “It raises important issues, but only a small number of these were issues where we needed to take immediate action. It told us how the services could be made more personal.”