Southwaite’s Barrock Court care home has been rated as requiring improvement after health watchdogs found infection control procedures, including COVID-19 measures, were poor.
An inspection was carried out after concerns were raised with the Care Quality Commission about infection procedures.
An unannounced visit took place, resulting in a host of actions being ordered to bring the residential care home — which is run by Advinia Health Care — up to standard.
Immediate action was ordered, with the inspector reporting they were not assured the provider had effective and robust procedures in place to avoid risks posed by infection, particularly regarding COVID-19.
“Staff did not always wear personal protective equipment correctly and could not explain the current government guidance on how to put on or take off PPE.
“One staff member indicated that social distancing at staff breaks did not always occur as it should.
“We were not assured staff were clear on infection control procedures during the pandemic and training had not been robust enough to keep people safe.
“People were not always protected from the risk of infection because staff were not following government guidance,” stated the report.
Due to the breaches, an action plan was requested and CQC will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress.
The inspector also raised concerns about the quality assurance systems in place, along with issues about support given to the registered manager regarding investigations and advice they had received from the provider.
In relation to safety, the CQC report stated that at the last inspection this key area was rated as requires improvement.
At this inspection this remained the same and meant some aspects of the service were not always safe and there was limited assurance about safety.
“There was an increased risk that people could be harmed,” the inspector said.
Inspectors added that the registered manager had recently resigned from their post and was due to leave the service the week of the inspection.
Despite the issues raised, feedback from residents and relatives was positive and staff were said to be “kind and caring”. People felt safe at the home and safeguarding procedures are followed by staff.
A spokesman for Advinia Health Care said: “The safety and wellbeing of our residents is always our highest priority and so we welcome the scrutiny that comes from our stakeholders at the Care Quality Commission.
“We fully accept the findings of this report and we have already implemented a significant quality improvement action plan to ensure that we deliver all of the recommendations made by the CQC.
“This plan includes further strengthening our enhanced COVID-19 infection control procedures, which will complement systems that were already in place, enhanced training and support for our dedicated staff team and strengthening of our communications systems.
“We have also strengthened the management support provided to the home and we are also fully engaged with our local authority partners.
“We are pleased that the inspectors recognised that our colleagues were kind and caring and we thank them for their tireless dedication during this challenging time.”
