CQC to take action against inadequate nursing home

Chestnut Lodge has been rated inadequate for the second time in just over six months

A nursing home faces further action from the regulator after inspectors found it was still failing to safeguard residents from potential harm or abuse.

Chestnut Lodge, on Shakespeare Close in the Barkerend area of Bradford, was rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in March following an inspection last year, which found three legal breaches relating to resident care.

The home was told to put a plan together to improve care, but at a follow-up inspection in July and August, the CQC found the facility remained inadequate.

A report said Chestnut Lodge remained in special measures and that the CQC had begun the process of taking regulatory action to address concerns.

The care home, which is run by SSC Bradford Limited, provides nursing and personal care for up to 80 people, some of whom are living with dementia.

In the 2024 inspection, the CQC identified concerns relating to safeguarding people from abuse, medicines management, risk management, deployment of staff and record keeping.

The new report said that "no improvements had been made at this inspection and the service remained in breach of these areas".

'Several hazards'

Linda Hirst, CQC deputy director of operations in the North, said: "When we returned to Chestnut Lodge, it was very disappointing to see a further deterioration in the quality of care being provided since we last inspected.

"Continued poor leadership and ineffective risk management meant people were receiving unsafe care, which is unacceptable in a place they call home.

"Leaders still hadn't made the home a safe place to live, and we saw several hazards including a medicines and sharps cupboard being accessible to people, exposed screws in light fittings that could cause and injury and holes in ceilings that hadn't been repaired.

"Several bedrooms had bad odours, and we found mattresses that smelled of urine and needed replacing.

"Staff continued to place people at risk by not supporting their needs appropriately."

She said residents were left in bed for too long due to inaccurate record keeping and that others were at risk of falls and injury due to unsuitable clothing.

Ms Hirst said at times there were too few staff, leading to relatives intervening "when someone was about to throw a vase which could have caused an injury".

"People had also fallen in the home when there was no staff to support them," she said.

"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 BBC has contacted SSC Bradford Limited to ask for comment.

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