Care home admits taking 'eye off the ball'
BBCA care home placed in special measures by a watchdog has admitted it had taken its "eyes off the ball", a report said.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated Rosehill House in Whitehaven, Cumbria, as inadequate following an inspection triggered by concerns about how the home was managed.
Victoria Marsden, CQC deputy director of operations in the north, said: "Whilst care staff were kind, caring and wanted the best for people, they were let down by leaders who had created a culture where people's safety and wellbeing wasn't classed as a priority."
Care home owner Pamela Dawn Hill-Eades said she was disappointed with the CQC's outcome, but was committed to addressing its findings.
Issues identified by inspectors included staffing levels, unsafe recruiting practices and a lack of measures to keep residents safe.
A report by the watchdog said the home was in breach of regulations "in relation to governance and oversight", including risk management, staffing and culture.
Ms Marsden said: "They hadn't installed window restrictors in people's bedrooms to prevent falls, and there were also several unsecured wardrobes with items stored on top which posed an injury risk."
'All in my head'
The report said the care home had "no formal strategy in place" to address risks and monitor progress.
It added the provider had told inspectors: "I know I've taken my eye off the ball, I don't have a service improvement plan, it's all in my head."
The CQC gives care homes an overall rating and also scores them across five criteria.
Rosehill House was judged "inadequate" overall, with safety and leadership also deemed as such.
Effectiveness and responsiveness were rated as "requiring improvement", while the the caring criteria was judged "good".
The report said: "The provider always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity."
Ms Hill-Eades said she was "delighted" the CQC had recognised the good care given to residents and the home was "committed and focused" to improve processes.
"We aim to have all improvements in place prior to the CQC reinspection and hope we will once again attain a good overall status," she said.
A previous inspection in 2018 had judged the home "good" overall.
At the time of the inspection, 18 people lived there, though the care home can accommodate up to 23 people with a physical disability, a sensory impairment or living with dementia.
The CQC said it would return to check on the care home's progress.
"We have told leaders where we expect to see rapid improvements and will continue to monitor the home closely to keep people safe while this happens," Ms Marsden said.
Ms Hill-Eades said residents and their families had been informed of the CQC's findings and they were grateful for the support received from them.
She added: "I am truly sorry for any anguish we have caused our residents, their families, our staff and partner organisations."