The Care Quality Commission said Beechwood Care Home in Northallerton failed to keep people safe, with “multiple incidents where people suffered physical injuries, such as wounds, and psychological harm, including distress and anxiety.”
The regulator downgraded the home’s overall rating to inadequate following the inspections carried out between December 22, last year and February 5.
The service, run by Premier Nursing Homes Limited, provides residential nursing care for older people, including people living with dementia.
A spokesperson for the home it was “deeply disappointed” by the CQC’s findings and that a new manager had been appointed.
Northallerton’s Beechwood care home has been placed in special measures and rated inadequate by the CQC after multiple incidents of residents injuring themselves. (Image: GOOGLE)
Inspectors said the quality and safety of care had deteriorated since the previous inspection and identified breaches relating to safe care and treatment, governance and a failure to submit legally required notifications to the regulator.
The report states that people “were not consistently protected from avoidable harm” and that failures in incident reporting and oversight meant lessons were not being learned.
Inspectors found some incidents were only recorded in daily notes rather than formally reported. This meant managers did not have a clear picture of what was happening in the home.
The report says the management team had “limited insight into the seriousness and frequency of incidents occurring in the home”.
Concerns were also raised about the way risks were managed, particularly where some residents displayed aggressive behaviour.
According to the report, staff “did not have the tools or support they needed to keep people safe,” with one staff member saying, “I am concerned. The service is not safe for other residents. I do think people are at risk.”
Hydration was another key concern highlighted by inspectors. Records showed some residents were not drinking enough fluids and action was not always taken.
Relatives also raised concerns. One said, “I’ve gone when [my loved one] has been clearly thirsty on a number of occasions.”
Inspectors found further safety issues around medicines management. The medicines fridge had been outside the recommended temperature range for around five months, and there was no record that this had been escalated.
The report also found one resident had gone “a significant period of time without a critical medicine”, while some out-of-date liquid medicines had been administered.
Staff morale was described as very low under the previous manager. One staff member told inspectors staffing wellbeing “is non-existent,” while another described the manager as “intimidating”, saying they “feel nervous and anxious” going to work.
The manager changed during the assessment and additional support from the provider was introduced. Inspectors said there were early signs of improvement by the second day of the inspection.
Despite the concerns, the report noted some positive findings. Care plans were generally person-centred and reflected residents’ needs. The home also made appropriate referrals to healthcare professionals, including the falls team and dieticians.
Some residents and relatives also praised staff. One resident said, “The staff make me feel safe. I feel confident they know what they are doing,” while a relative said, “Everybody is friendly, all helpful.”
However, the regulator concluded the service required significant improvement and placed the home into special measures.
The report states that special measures are intended to ensure services providing inadequate care make significant improvements within a set timeframe while being closely monitored to ensure residents remain safe.
A spokesperson for Beechwood Care Home said: “We are deeply disappointed with our latest CQC inspection report and, as inspectors noted, we took immediate action to address the issues raised.
“A new home manager was put in place and additional support provided to ensure early improvements were made, as the report states.
“We continue to work hard to ensure the high standards of care expected by our residents and their loved ones.
“As always, our highest priority is providing a safe, comfortable, and caring home for those who reside with us.”