A care home has been placed in special measures after an inspection report revealed how the back garden was covered in dog faeces, residents were spoken to 'in derogatory terms' and one relative referred to it as 'the most depressing place'.
Thornton House Residential Home in Childer Thornton, near Ellesmere Port in Cheshire, was rated 'inadequate' in all five service areas following an unannounced inspection carried out over four days in March this year. The facility caters for up to 22 people living with age-related conditions, including dementia.
The GN Care Homes Limited-run home had previously been rated as 'good' back in 2021 but a fresh inspection was prompted after the Care Quality Commission (CQC) received 'concerns' over 'safeguarding incidents' not being reported. The family-run company has vowed to turn the situation around and says the CQC is 'happy with its progress', CheshireLive reports.
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The damning report, published this month, reveals that the registered manager resigned following the inspection. It states that on the first day inspectors found a first-floor window did not have a restrictor in place and, despite being 'given an assurance by the registered manager and provider that this would be immediately addressed', the situation remained the same six days later.
The report goes on to reveal that 'the back garden grassed areas and paths were inaccessible to people due to a very large number of dog faeces', adding that they had been there for a while 'as they were starting to decompose'. The home immediately addressed the issue.
Other issues raised were the 'insufficient numbers of suitably trained and competent staff' to cater for residents' needs, language used in some care plans and records being 'disrespectful and undignified' with one saying a person's 'behaviour was unacceptable and would not be tolerated in the future', and staff speaking about people 'in derogatory terms'.
Relatives had made comments on the home needing redecoration and refurbishment, according to the report, with one describing it as 'the most depressing place'. Overall, the inspectors said the feedback from families was 'very mixed' - with one saying their relative 'loves it here' while another said it made them 'feel sad' that their loved one had to live there.
The report summary states: "The provider had not fully protected people from the risk of abuse and improper treatment. Incidents and accidents involving people were not consistently reported, recorded and investigated. Lessons were not learned from accidents and incidents to drive improvement or to mitigate future risk.
"The provider failed to ensure there were enough trained and competent staff to meet people's needs at Thornton House and to keep them safe. Staff had received mandatory training but had not received training in relation to dementia care and the management of behaviour that may challenge.
"A lack of robust governance and daily management oversight had resulted in issues relating to the quality and safety of the care people received. Governance systems in place had failed to identify the concerns we found and whilst regular checks and audits were in place, these were ineffective."
It adds: "We found the language used in some people's records to be disrespectful and undignified. Staff used language that was not always person centred when engaging with people.
"Thornton House needed decoration and refurbishment in communal areas and within some people's bedrooms. Signage for people living with dementia required improvement. Relatives gave us mixed feedback that included positive and negative comments in relation to all areas of the service.
"Some communal activities took place within the home, however, these did not meet the needs of all people living at the service. People's food and drink needs were not consistently met. The chef had a good understanding of people's dietary needs. Medicines were managed safely by trained and competent staff."
The report concludes: "We have identified breaches in relation to person centred care, dignity and respect, safe care, safeguarding, staffing, premises and governance at this inspection. We will keep the service under review and, if we do not propose to cancel the provider's registration, we will re-inspect within six months to check for significant improvements."
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