Ramsey care home The Red House declared inadequate overall by health regulator and placed in ‘special measures’

A nursing home has been found to be inadequate overall, with residents not being protected from harm and procedures for medication declared “unsafe” following a month-long inspection by health regulators.

Now The Red House Care Home, on Bury Road, Ramsey, has been placed on ‘special measures’ and will be kept under review by Care Quality Commission (CQC) officials for six months to ensure it makes substantial improvements.

If the services do not improve, the provider, the health care company HC-One, has been warned that it may be prevented from operating the service.

A spokesman for HC-One, which runs the home along with 300 others nationwide, said staff acknowledged they had fallen short of the high standards expected and deserved by residents.

The inspection, which was carried out by a team of two inspectors, a medication specialist and an Experienced Expert, who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service, began on August 3 of this year and ended on September 5.

CQC officials found the home, which had 47 residents, to be inadequate as a safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-run facility, as well as being inadequate overall.

In its report, the CQC states: “There were not enough staff to attend to the needs of the people.

“People were not protected from harm and lessons were not learned when things went wrong.

It says: “Risks to people’s safety were not adequately assessed or reduced by staff, and supervision was not effective.

“The medication processes were not safe and the staff did not respond appropriately when a person showed symptoms of an infection.”

“People were at risk of dehydration and malnutrition.

“People experienced weight loss that staff did not acknowledge or respond to effectively.

“People’s needs were not properly assessed and agreed health plans were not always followed.

“Staff had not received effective training to keep people safe and staff supervision methods were not effective.

He also adds: “People were not always treated with dignity and respect by the staff.

“Kind and considerate care wasn’t always apparent.

The report also claims that the service was not well run.

It continues: “The provider did not operate safe and effective governance systems, which meant that people were at risk of harm.

“The provider failed to respond to its own quality control findings to promote safety and improve care.”

And he expresses: “People, or their relatives in their case, were not always supported to get involved in the care planning process.

“Care plans for people living with dementia have not been developed.

“Responsive care planning did not take place for people who experienced impairment.

“Social opportunities, engagement and activities were not regularly available to people who stayed in their rooms.”

However, the report also adds that: “People told us that they were supported with their medications and received pain relief when needed.

“People said they were happy with the quality of the meals provided and told us that the staff were kind and friendly to them.”

Inspectors say the investigation was launched in part due to concerns about safe care and treatment; protection, staffing,

nutrition and hydration, person-centered care, privacy and dignity, and good governance.

They state: “We had conducted an inspection at another of the supplier’s locations and found that these rule violations were present.

“In addition, we received concerns that common themes may be present in this location.

“The decision was made to inspect and examine those risks.”

Inspectors also note that a 2019 CQC inspection at Red House Care Home rated it ‘good.’

A spokesperson for The Red House said: “Ensuring we provide high-quality, friendly care to our residents is our highest priority and we are therefore deeply disappointed by CQC’s most recent assessment of The Red House.

“We recognize that as a result of the specific challenges we have experienced in the Cambridgeshire area for some time, we have unfortunately fallen short of the high standards our residents expect and deserve in this home.

“With the support of the Council and CQC, and in accordance with the comprehensive action plan in place, we continue to work hard to overcome these and regain the trust of our residents and the wider community.

The spokesperson added: “We have a new and highly experienced regional management team, who are working directly with front-line colleagues at The Red House to review the performance of the house and carry out stringent checks to monitor progress against it. our plan of action.

“All of our colleagues have received additional training, particularly in medication management and effective care record keeping.

“To strengthen our team and ensure the home action plan is fully integrated and delivered for the long term, our new regional management team is actively recruiting for additional leadership roles.

“While we understand that this resolution comes too late to change our residents’ historic experiences at The Red House, we are fully committed to delivering substantial improvements within the CQC’s six-month timeframe.

“Providing high-quality, friendly care remains our top priority and we are committed to dedicating the time, superior supervision and resources necessary to ensure we receive the right care for each resident and their loved ones.”