The Grimsby residential care home has been downgraded to inadequate by the Care Quality Commission
Yarborough House Residential Care Home in Grimsby(Image: Submitted photo )
A Grimsby care home has been downgraded by the healthcare watchdog after finding records that some patients were at risk of malnutrition. Yarborough House is a facility for up to 25 adults with dementia, mental health problems or physical disabilities, with 20 people living there at the time of the inspection in July.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has now downgraded the home’s rating from “requires improvement” to “inadequate” after July’s inspection was carried out to follow up on enforcement action. At its previous inspection three breaches of regulations were found in relation to safe care and treatment, staffing and how the home was managed.
The health regulator said Yarborough House was not meeting the basic needs of residents, such as help with eating and oral hygiene – and the service has now been placed into special measures. The latest inspection found one person’s weight loss had not been identified and no action was taken, while several others were not referred to dieticians despite being at risk of malnutrition.
A spokesperson for Yarborough House told Grimsby Live that “extensive and substantial improvements addressing the report’s findings” had been made since the inspection.
Patients told inspectors there were delays in their care and that they sometimes had to wait a long time for staff to help. However, patients and their relatives were positive about the workers.
The report says: “Due to the concerns identified during the assessment, we could not be assured that people consistently received high-quality, compassionate care that upheld their dignity and rights.
“People told us there were delays in their care and at times they had to wait a long time for staff to provide support. Despite this, people and their relatives were positive about staff and their relationships with them. A person said, “The [staff], they’re nice.” A relative said, “staff work hard, they are extremely caring, this is evident in how they talk to my [relative] and treat my [relative].
“Some people told us they did not always have enough opportunities for meaningful activity, social interaction and stimulation. This was particularly the case for people who spent long periods in bed or in their rooms.
“One person told us they were lonely and another said they’d not had a TV in their room for a long time as it wouldn’t work. Staff were busy and this limited opportunities for them to engage with people.
“People and their relatives did not raise concerns with us about the management of the service. They were positive about the registered manager and felt they could approach them to raise any issues.”
Elsewhere, the inspection found safety checks were not always completed appropriately, with a service for a hoist six months out of date.
Alison Chilton, CQC deputy director of operations, adult social care, North-East area, said: “When we inspected Yarborough House RCH, it was very concerning that leaders had failed to address the concerns which we identified at the previous inspection, and the quality of care had deteriorated even further, showing a lack of compassion for people living there and putting them at risk of harm.
“Leaders failed to ensure people’s basic health needs were recognised and supported. For example, some people experienced unintentional weight loss and were at risk of malnutrition and deteriorating health. Staff didn’t recognise this or refer people to relevant healthcare professionals so they could be supported.
“Similarly, the home didn’t ensure people requiring textured and modified diets were supported appropriately which continued to place them at risk of choking.
“Additionally, Yarborough House RCH needs to ensure more activities and meaningful engagement is available to people. One person told us they were lonely and another said they’d not had a TV in their room for a long time as theirs hadn’t been fixed. Staff were very busy and this limited opportunities for them to spend time with people.
“We have told leaders where we expect to see rapid, and continued improvements and will continue to monitor the service closely to keep people safe during this time. We have begun the process of taking regulatory action in order to protect people further.”
A spokesperson for Yarborough House RCH said: “We accept much of what the CQC has identified. Since their inspection in July 2026, we have made extensive and substantial improvements addressing the report’s findings.
“Whilst there are a couple of areas that remain outstanding, steps are being taken to address them as soon as possible, and we continue to work collaboratively with the CQC as part of the special measures process. The health and wellbeing of the residents within our care is, and always will be, our highest priority.”
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