Risk of harm and neglect at care home - inspectors

Staff at Troutbeck Care Home had an "uncaring" attitude, the CQC said

A West Yorkshire care home is to close voluntarily after inspectors found a "risk of harm and neglect".

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) had placed Troutbeck Care Home in Ilkley into special measures.

Inspectors found staff had an "uncaring" attitude, with residents not given enough food or protected from "repeated assaults" by a resident.

The Maria Mallaband Care Group, which runs the home, said issues had been "immediately reported to the appropriate bodies".

The home in Crossbeck Road provides personal and nursing care to up to 52 people, some of whom are living with dementia.

The CQC held its inspection in November, with the team finding residents did not have enough to eat and drink, and 20 people had lost weight unintentionally.

Staff failed to protect people from being "repeatedly assaulted by another person using the service", the report said.

The service had previously been rated as good.

Sheila Grant, CQC deputy director of operations in the North, said "standards had been allowed to slip" at the home.

She said: "A poor culture had developed among staff at all levels, with some displaying a disregard for people’s health and welfare which placed people at risk of harm and neglect.

'Uncaring'

“It was very concerning to see that it had become normal for staff to ignore risks and incidents where people had come to harm, instead of acting on them.

"One person had been subject to repeated safeguarding incidents that staff had come to accept as the norm which is totally unacceptable.

“The attitude of staff towards people was poor, uncaring, and lacked empathy and respect.

"We saw one person showing signs of distress in their bedroom and staff just disregarded them and ignored their call bell."

She said the home had since "decided to close voluntarily".

'Safe transfer'

A spokesperson for the Maria Mallaband Care Group said its own internal governance procedures had identified the issues at the home and they had been "immediately reported to the appropriate bodies".

The spokesperson said: "Unfortunately, due to the ongoing challenges experienced around staffing and recruitment, sufficient progress has not been achieved within the timescale to date.

"Therefore, clear and decisive management decisions have been made to voluntarily close the home and ensure the safe transfer of persons using the service as soon as possible with support from the local authority."

They said the "safety and comfort of those living in the home and their safe transfer to alternative accommodation which meets their care needs is our absolute priority".