The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated The Vale Residential Care Home as inadequate and placed it into special measures following an inspection in October.
The Vale is a residential care home for older people living with dementia, supporting up to 28 people. CQC carried out the inspection after receiving safeguarding concerns about the service.
Inspectors found a closed culture at the care home, which increased the risk of harm to people living there. The service breached four regulations relating to safeguarding, safe care and treatment, staffing and the management of the service.
CQC rated The Vale inadequate for being safe and well-led. The home was previously rated good for both.
CQC has also placed the service into special measures which involves close monitoring to ensure people are safe while they make improvements. Special measures also provides a structured timeframe so services understand when they need to make improvements by, and what action CQC will take if this doesn’t happen.
Amy Jupp, CQC’s deputy director for the South East, said:
"When we inspected The Vale, we found leaders didn’t have a grip on the issues that were putting people at risk. There was a closed culture where staff didn't feel able to raise concerns, and safeguarding issues went unreported for months.
"This had a real impact on people's daily lives. We saw staff gesture at one resident to be quiet when they tried to communicate, which isn't acceptable for someone who has every right to express themselves. One relative also told us they'd found a needle cover on their loved one's clothing.
"We found staff weren't always giving people their medicines safely. One person with a significant choking risk was given large tablets instead of liquid medication. Their relative told us they no longer felt confident in the care and had started visiting earlier and staying later.
"It was disappointing to find leaders knew about rifts between staff but hadn't addressed them effectively. This created a negative atmosphere that relatives were aware of, and meant concerns weren't being shared or acted on.
“It is unacceptable that leaders allowed such poor care to happen. We have placed The Vale into special measures and told leaders where they must make immediate and significant improvements. We will monitor them closely to keep people safe while they deliver the care people deserve.”
Inspectors found:
- Staff didn't record seizures as incidents, so the care home couldn't share this information with healthcare professionals to provide joined-up care.
- Staff gave one person at high risk of choking large antibiotic capsules with water, despite them only being able to manage small sips – their relative found them with a tablet still in their mouth.
- Staff didn’t always move a person who needed repositioning every four hours to prevent pressure injuries on time. On one occasion, there was an eight-hour gap, leaving them at significant risk of painful skin breakdown.
- Staff didn't raise safeguarding concerns for months, and some didn't know how to report issues externally, meaning serious problems went unaddressed.
- Several areas of the home smelled strongly of urine. Leaders only arranged for flooring to be replaced after inspectors raised concerns.
- Some people shared rooms with only a curtain between them, giving no privacy or dignity.