A care home has been rated inadequate after inspectors highlighted a number of failings during a two day visit.
St Patrick’s Care Home on Crow Wood Lane in Widnes looks after up to 40 residents described as "older people" or living with dementia and received visits from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) on November 9 and 11. The resulting report was published on Wednesday, December 21.
An inspection report criticised infection controls at St Patrick’s, which it said weren’t “effectively managed”, and included “unclean areas” that were spotted during the two days the CQC was on site. The home was rated “good” in the “caring and effective” categories.
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PPE was also found “not stored in a way that prevented cross contamination”. Medication records didn’t also show that residents received their medicine as prescribed.
The report said: “Infection prevention and control procedures were not effectively managed.
“Unclean areas of the home were observed across both days of the inspection and we found PPE was not stored in a way that prevented cross contamination.
“Not all risks were assessed and monitored which placed people at potential risk of harm.
“Risk assessments were not always completed in a timely manner and records did not always show that risk was effectively monitored.”
The CQC praised a range of aspects of the care provided at St Patrick’s.
These included people being supported to have “maximum choice and control of their lives”, and staff were “safely recruited” with appropriate checks.
St Patrick’s also had “enough staff” and a safeguarding policy was in place.
The CQC said: “People told us they felt safe in the care of staff and relatives were also assured that their loved ones were safe living at the home.
“People and relatives told us that staff were experienced and knowledgeable about their roles.
“When people's needs changed, the provider was extremely responsive and appropriate referrals to other agencies were made in a timely manner. People achieved positive health outcomes because the engagement with health professionals was effective.”
Residents were also “positive about the food” and gave “positive feedback” about airing views with staff, with one resident telling the CQC: "Staff listen to what we say".
St Patrick’s Care Home is run by Halton Borough Council, which told the ECHO that issues needing improvement were “rectified immediately”.
A Halton Council spokeswoman said: “St Patrick’s Care Home was inspected by the Care Quality Commission in November 2022.
“We are pleased that that the report recognised the high standards of care provided within St Patrick’s, in particular, that our staff treat the people we support at St Patrick’s with dignity and respect and that the inspectors, observations found that the staff were caring in their approach and the way they interacted with people was considerate and respectful.
“We also welcome the positive feedback received by family members of the people we support.
“It is with regret that some areas within the home were identified as requiring improvement.
“These areas, as identified within the report, were rectified immediately and actions taken to ensure that the practices are sustained.
“Halton Borough Council is committed to providing high quality care, as part of the ongoing improvement plan.
“A full refurbishment of St Patrick’s is to commence in April 2023.”
St Patrick’s Care Home is one of four in the borough owned by the council, which backed a £4.2m refurbishment programme across all four in July, with St Patrick’s to receive £1.6m.
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