Care home placed in special measures by CQC

A care home for adults with learning disabilities, autism or mental health conditions has been rated inadequate and placed in special measures after an inspection raised concerns about safety, privacy and dignity.

The routine check of Rock House in Gillingham in January uncovered seven breaches of regulations and led to the immediate suspension of the service's rating on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) website.

The CQC said leaders had not addressed "serious safety concerns" and residents faced "unnecessary restrictions" on their lives and human rights.

Pure Care, which runs Rock House, said that while it did not agree with all of the CQC's report, it accepted improvements were required.

During the inspection, the CQC found "significant risks around self-harm weren't properly managed" and "some serious incidents weren't properly reported to relevant authorities".

Inspectors found residents had to ask permission to use communal bathrooms, which were kept locked, and were given an allowance because there was no catering at the home but there were "strict controls" around what they could buy.

Andrew Peck, CQC deputy director of operations in the south, said residents were not allowed to buy sweets or fizzy drinks, and were made to pay their allowance back if they did.

More serious concerns included how, when one person became distressed, staff were instructed to have them sleep in a communal lounge where they could be monitored by CCTV - without their consent.

Mr Peck said: "We found poor leadership that had allowed a closed culture to develop, and where people faced unnecessary restrictions on their daily lives and human rights.

"Staff were trying to provide good care to people but weren't supported by leaders with the right policies and processes to do this."

Rock House has been told to make "immediate and significant improvements" or face further action.

Responding to the findings, a spokesperson for Pure Care said it took the feedback "incredibly seriously" and a "huge amount of work" had already begun into making improvements.

They said a "detailed action plan" was in place against which it had already made "significant progress" and a plan had been shared with local authority funders who it would "be working closely with to ensure their satisfaction and confidence".

The spokesperson said Pure Care had reviewed its guidance on food budgets and the only items residents could not buy with their allowances were alcohol and tobacco.

A new system is also in place to ensure all incidents are logged and, where needed, authorities informed, the group said.

The spokesperson added that each resident's care plan had been reviewed and, where necessary, updated to reflect their health needs and consent.

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