Inspectors call for improvements at Petworth care home

The report has called for improvements across all five categories inspected examining whether the service provided was safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

There was an unannounced two day inspection at the home in Dawtrey Road on July 26 and 27 where Rotherlea run by Shaw Healthecare Ltd provides accommodation and care for up to 70 older people, some of whom have dementia.

At the time of the visit there were 61 elderly people in residence.

Inspectors said there were not enough staff employed by the service and although staffing numbers were maintained by using temporary staff this was having an impact on the care. “Staff were under pressure and had little time to engage with people socially or to support them to pursue their individual interests. Staff were ‘borrowed’ from the domestic and activities staff teams to provide care to people. This had a knock on effect on the cleanliness of the home, the ordering of supplies to the kitchen and the provision of activities. Due to staff changes and staff moving between the units of the home, people did not have the continuity of the same keyworker to ensure their wellbeing.”

The report added risks to people’s safety had not been managed effectively and medicines were not managed safely. “A new electronic recording system for the administration of medicines had been introduced but some staff had not received training to use it effectively.”

Inspectors also found: “Staff did not feel supported by management or that their contribution was valued. Staff had not always received appropriate training, support and supervision to enable them to carry out their duties effectively.”

The report added: “People’s care had been planned but the monitoring in place did not demonstrate that people’s planned

support had been consistently delivered.”

However inspectors said people enjoyed the food and were offered a choice of meals, but staff did not use visual prompts to help those with dementia to make a choice.

But residents told inspectors the regular staff team were kind and worked hard: “They told us staff treated them with respect and were mindful of their privacy. Some people were actively involved in planning their care, others told us that they would like to have more of a say.”

Residents said they felt able to raise any concerns and had confidence that any complaints they made would be resolved.

Liam Scanlon, director of compliance & governance for Shaw healthcare, said: “We’re very disappointed with the outcome. We acknowledge there is work to be done and already have an action plan in place to rectify the reported findings. We’re confident that the CQC will have a much improved view at the next inspection.”

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