Heysham dementia care home in special measures

Fairways, in Westmoor Grove, was found to put people at risk of harm, and was rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Inspectors made an unannounced visit to the registered home, which provides care and accommodation for up to 24 older people living with dementia, between January 9 and January 13.

When the service was last inspected in January 2016, inspectors found the service was not meeting the required standards.

The latest report found some but not all improvements had been made.

Improvements had been made that ensured systems were in place to notify the CQC of incidents of abuse, and the registered manager had implemented a new reporting system to ensure all concerns were reported to the appropriate bodies in a timely manner. However, the registered manager had failed to consistently notify the CQC of all other incidents in a timely manner.

Two people were found to be unlawfully deprived of their liberty, and mental capacity was not routinely assessed and good practice guidelines were not referred to when a person lacked capacity. Good practice guidelines for how medicines were managed were not consistently followed, and a partly implemented auditing system to monitor the administration of medicines and to monitor accidents and incidents was ineffective.

Deployment of staff was sometimes poor, and people had to wait to have their needs met.

Communal areas were cramped, hindering people’s mobility and increased the risk of people falling. Three accidents had occurred where people had fallen into equipment or other people, and on the day of the inspection, another accident had taken place, because the registered provider had not ensured premises were maintained and fit for purpose.

Some caring and positive interactions took place, but person centred care was not always carried out, and people received care which did not suit their preferences or needs.

However people who lived at the home and relatives spoke highly about the staff, who were described as caring and kind, and staff told inspectors Fairways was a good place to work, and relatives reported they were happy with the service provided.

Fairways will now be kept under review and will be inspected again within six months.