Care home in breach of regulations told to improve

Westmorland Court was inspected by the CQC, which said it required improvement

A nursing home found in breach of safety regulations has been told to improve by a watchdog.

Westmorland Court Nursing and Residential Home in Arnside, Cumbria, has been given an overall rating of "requiring improvement" by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Inspectors said the home was in breach of legal safety regulations in relation to managing medicines and good governance, with concerns including staffing levels and safety of the premises.

Westmorland Court said it had acted quickly "to address all areas for improvement" and said all concerns had been rectified.

Catherine Zimbeva, the registered manager at Westmorland Court, said: "Since the inspection, we have held several meetings with stakeholders, submitted our response [to the CQC], and they are very happy with our improvements."

Care homes are judged across five criteria and inspectors said safety, effectiveness and leadership all "required improvement", but the home was judged "good" across the caring and responsive categories.

Inspectors said Westmorland Court had already been found in breach of regulations for its management of medicines during an inspection in February 2023.

"No improvements had been made and the provider remains in breach of this regulation," the report said.

It added the provider was also in breach of the "legal regulation good governance, as systems to assess and manage the quality and safety of the service were not always effective".

Staffing issues

Inspectors said medicines were "not always given in line with the manufacturer's directions", for instance before or after food, meaning drugs might not work properly.

The home can accommodate up to 48 people, with 35 living there at the time of the inspection.

The CQC said the manager "did not always make sure there were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff".

Inspectors also raised concerns about the home's safety procedures and said concerns identified by a fire risk assessment had not been actioned.

The report added: "We observed exposed copper piping under a communal bathroom sink which was hot to touch. This meant people were at risk from scalds and burns."

A plan was put in place by management as soon as the issue was highlighted, the report said.

The CQC said residents were "generally happy" with their care.

"People and their families felt they were supported by staff who were caring, friendly and knew them well," the report said.

It added: "People told us they were involved in decisions about their care, staff promoted their independence and their choices were respected."

Ms Zimbeva said she was proud the CQC had recognised her staff's dedication.

She said the home had strengthened medication safety, updated residents' care plans and completed urgent repairs.

"Our priority now is to build on our strengths and maintain the highest standards of care for everyone at Westmorland Court."