Brackenlea Care Home, which supports up to 25 older people, was inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) between September 29 and October 1.
The latest report, published on October 23, found that the home, in Pearson Lane, ‘requires improvement’.
The care home, on Pearson Lane, has said they take the findings of the report ‘extremely seriously’ and have implemented an action plan to address issues.
The CQC found that the home did not have robust processes in place to control the risk of infections spreading.
Brackenlea Care Home (Image: Google Maps)
During the inspection, five people had contracted Covid-19, and staff reported that 13 people had been infected during a previous outbreak two months earlier.
The report highlighted that people had been exposed to Covid-19 risks twice in recent months.
Inspectors noted there was no information at the entrance to inform visitors about the outbreak until the issue was raised.
Some residents with Covid-19 were seen with their doors open, and clinical waste bins were not placed outside their rooms for safe disposal of personal protective equipment (PPE). One resident was incorrectly removed from self-isolation, and the registered manager was not aware until informed by staff the next morning.
The report also found that a person with Covid-19 shared a toilet with others, without measures in place to alert staff or ensure the bathroom was cleaned afterwards.
Even after measures were introduced, staff “forgot to follow” guidance and clean the bathroom, increasing the risk of the virus spreading.
Inspectors observed staff not always wearing face masks correctly, not removing PPE immediately after leaving infected rooms, and washing hands in inappropriate areas.
The CQC said these actions risked spreading Covid-19.
The registered manager began making changes after these issues were raised.
Although the home was visibly clean and had enough hand sanitiser dispensers, the CQC found other concerns.
Medicines were not always administered safely, and there was a lack of guidance for staff about some medicines.
Some risks, such as water safety and storage of chemicals, were not always managed.
Despite these issues, the CQC noted that staff were kind and compassionate, and people and their relatives gave positive feedback.
Comments included, “So loving and caring,” and “Yes definitely more than happy with the service.”
A spokesperson for Brackenlea Care Home said: “We fully acknowledge the findings of the recent CQC inspection and take the report extremely seriously.
“While we are disappointed with the rating, we recognise the areas identified for improvement and have already implemented a detailed action plan to address them.
“Our priority is, and will always be, the safety, dignity, and wellbeing of the people we support.
“Since the inspection, we have strengthened staff training, enhanced clinical governance processes, and increased internal quality monitoring to ensure sustained improvement.
“We are committed to working closely with our team, the CQC, and our local partners to deliver the highest standards of care and to ensure the progress already made continues.
“We remain confident that with these improvements in place, we will demonstrate the high-quality, person-centred care our residents deserve and achieve a positive outcome at future inspections.”