Care residents at risk of scalding showers - CQC

The home in Luton has eight bedrooms for people with autism or learning difficulties

A care home has been downgraded to inadequate after inspectors found that residents were at risk of being scalded by its showers.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) also found that all the fire doors at Mulberry House in Barton Road, Luton, were defective.

The regulator has placed the home, which has eight bedrooms for adults with learning difficulties, in special measures and will take more action if improvements do not happen.

The home's owners, Complete Care Services, have been approached for comment.

Mulberry House had been assessed by the CQC as "requiring improvement" in 2023 and the website said the owners had "already made the necessary improvements and [was] awaiting reinspection".

The inspectors who visited in May did not agree and found the care home did not "support the delivery of safe care".

Breach of regulations

The CQC report said: "All the fire doors were defective" and some were "held open with objects such as laundry baskets and boxes".

The inspectors added that "all showers in the service could reach high temperatures which presented a scalding risk".

As a result, the home was "in breach of legal regulation in relation to people's safe care and treatment".

The report goes on to say that the owner had replaced the fire doors and showers after the inspectors' visit.

Showers in the home "could reach temperatures that presented a scalding risk", the CQC report said

The report also found that staff did not respond to people's needs "in the moment or act to minimise discomfort, concern or distress".

The inspectors said they had seen a resident's condition deteriorate but staff had not sought appropriate medical advice until the inspectors told them to.

They concluded that the home offered "limited" activities and outings, and the kitchen was locked to prevent its use even by residents who would have benefitted from preparing their own food.

Staff were also not trained in the use of mobility equipment.

On the positive side, residents and relatives described staff as "kind and respectful", and managers were "approachable".

The CQC has now placed the home in special measures, which means it will be closely monitored and given deadlines for improvements.

The commission will take further action if the service does not improve.