Care home in Wolverhampton requesting 'rating review' after CQC downgrade
Inspectors visited in November last year and said necessary improvements had not been made since their last inspection
A care home in the Black Country has been put in special measures by health watchdogs due to concerns over the care provided to people.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) downgraded the rating of Ashley Court Care Limited in Wolverhampton from ‘requires improvement’ to the lowest score of ‘inadequate’.
Inspectors visited in November last year and said necessary improvements had not been made since their last inspection and the home was still in breach of two regulations in relation to safe care and treatment and management.
Bosses at the home said they were ‘disappointed’ with the CQC findings and said it was not accurate and didn’t fairly reflect the home, adding they would lodge a ‘rating review’ against the score.
The home caters for older and younger people, some of whom are living with dementia.
CQC rated Ashley Court Care Limited as inadequate for being safe and well-led, down from requires improvement.
The ratings for effective and caring and have dropped from good to inadequate, while responsive went from good to requires improvement.
CQC has also begun the process of taking regulatory action to address the concerns which Ashley Court Care Limited has the right to appeal.
Amanda Lyndon, CQC’s deputy director of adult social care for the West Midlands, said: “When we inspected Ashley Court Care Limited, it was disappointing that despite outlining exactly where improvements were needed at our previous inspection, we found that leaders had allowed people’s care to deteriorate significantly and wasn’t always safe.
“During our inspection, we saw some people looking unclean and unkempt and had clearly not been supported to meet their personal needs.
“We asked staff for information about how people with mobility issues accessed the bath or shower but didn’t always receive it, indicating that people weren’t always receiving them.
“It was also concerning to see staff didn’t involve all people in decisions about their care or tell them about changes as a result.
“People’s care also didn’t always meet their diverse needs and preferences, and staff didn’t treat people respectfully or in a dignified way.
“Leaders didn’t have effective systems in place to help identify concerns or make improvements to people’s care.
“One person had been referred to an external health professional for sore skin. Despite this, we found this person seated in a wheelchair with no cushion or padding for a long time, putting them at risk of further sore skin.
“Although staff assessed information about incidents which took place, this wasn’t always used to earn lessons or make changes, putting people at potential risk of harm.
“Despite us asking for an action plan at our last inspection, it was clear that leaders hadn’t taken all the actions they said they were going to, keeping them in breach of the legal regulation relating to people’s safe care and treatment.
“We have again been clear with leaders about what we expect to see moving forward to ensure they are no longer in breach of regulations.
“We will return to check on their progress and have proposed using our regulatory powers further to ensure people are receiving the care they have a right to expect.”
Inspectors were told by people they were happy with the care they received and felt safe living in the home.
A spokesperson for Ashley Court Care Home said: “We are very disappointed in the CQC’s assessment and we strongly believe a single-word rating does not reflect the standard of care we deliver for our residents.
“We do not believe their assessment is an accurate or fair reflection of our home and will be lodging a Rating Review with the CQC.
“The Inspector’s report highlighted a substantial range of positive aspects of our care, including that residents are happy with their care, feel safe living at Ashley Court, and that our team members are supportive and know people’s individual needs.
“It also notes the high-quality training our team undertake, and that safeguarding procedures are followed.
“We recognise there are some areas where we can do better, and through our culture of continual learning and improvement, we are focused on making those changes.
“We note the CQC itself is undertaking a major revision to how it inspects care services, with a more tailored approach to assessment.
“We welcome this move and believe a re-inspection under a new system would give a more accurate picture of the high standards of care we offer to residents.”