Nursing home placed in special measures

A nursing home has been placed into special measures by the care watchdog over concerns about safety, treatment and governance.

Ash Hall Nursing Home in Werrington, Stoke-on-Trent, was judged to be inadequate following a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection during July and August.

It was previously found to have been in breach of legal regulations relating to safe care, treatment and good governance, which had not been improved, the inspection report said.

Ash Hall Ltd, which runs the nursing home, said it was working with the CQC to address the issues but also raised concerns about "the accuracy of certain findings".

The report said the breach of legal regulations related to person-centred care, safe staffing and the need for consent.

"The provider could not demonstrate people consistently received safe care and treatment – risks to people's health, safety and welfare were not always effectively assessed, monitored or managed," it added.

"Concerns identified at the previous inspection, including staffing, environmental safety and oversight of care, had not been fully addressed."

The report said people did not always receive effective care and support because the systems for assessing needs or monitoring outcomes were "inconsistently applied".

"Although staff understood people's health needs and people had access to healthcare services, gaps in oversight and record-keeping meant there was limited assurance that care was consistently delivered in line with assessed needs and best practice," the report continued.

However, residents were found to be "generally positive" about the care they received, while staff were described as "kind, compassionate and respectful".

"People and relatives spoke positively about the support provided to maintain health and wellbeing," the report added.

"People told us staff supported them with medicines, nutrition and healthcare needs, and spoke positively about the quality of food."

The service provides residential care to older people living with dementia, as well as people with nursing needs, mental health conditions, physical disabilities and sensory impairments.

A spokesperson for Ash Hall Ltd said it had gone through a difficult period due to the death of the former operator and the appointment of a new home manager.

They added: "Every resident in our care is treated with dignity, compassion and a person-centred approach.

"We have concerns about the accuracy of certain findings in the CQC report, including some areas where we believe evidence we provided was not fully reflected in the final version. We are raising these points directly with the CQC."

The provider was working with the CQC and Stoke-on-Trent City Council to address the findings, the spokesperson said, and was aiming to achieve a rating of good within the next six months.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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