'Understaffed' care home put in special measures

Thornhill Care Home in Huddersfield has been placed into special measures by the Care Quality Commission

A West Yorkshire nursing home has been placed into special measures due to watchdog concerns around understaffing and poor leadership.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said it rated Thornhill Care Home in Huddersfield as "inadequate" following inspections late last year, with the visit partly prompted by the death of a resident.

Inspectors said a lack of "consistent and effective" management, the unsafe management of medications and other factors had put residents at risk of harm.

A spokesperson for Thornhill Care Home said: "We are disappointed with our latest CQC report and took immediate action to address the issues raised."

They added: "We have implemented an action plan of improvements, which has been shared with the CQC.

"We are also in the process of recruiting a new registered manager."

The CQC said a separate investigation into the death of one of the home's residents was ongoing, however it "indicated potential concerns about how the service was managing medications".

'No staff available'

Staff also did not seek prompt medical advice when required, quality assurance processes were not found to be effective and people did not receive "person-centred care", inspectors found.

A service placed into special measures means it will be kept under close review by the CQC.

Linda Hirst, CQC deputy director of operations in the North, said: "People's needs weren't being met due to understaffing.

"It's unacceptable that on several occasions, inspectors had to intervene and locate staff to assist people as no staff were available to help them."

Ms Hirst said residents complained of being cold due to poor heating and not having enough warm bedding.

She added: "We have told leaders where we expect to see rapid and continued improvements and will continue to monitor the home closely to keep people safe during this time."

The report noted that staff at the home, which provided care for up to 42 people, were "kind and caring" but were struggling with high workloads and poor management.

The care home spokesperson added: "Our highest priority is providing a safe, comfortable, and caring environment for those who reside with us, and we are confident our next inspection will reflect the improvements that have been made."

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