Care home downgraded to 'inadequate' by watchdog

The CQC carried out the unannounced inspection following "concerns" about the home

A care home has had its rating downgraded due to safety and staffing concerns.

Dormy House in Ascot, Berkshire, has been put into special measures by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after a report found medicines were not being managed "safely" and "people were not always protected from the risk of abuse or neglect".

The care home was rated "good" at its previous inspection in 2021.

Dormy House has apologised and said it was making improvements.

The CQC carried out the unannounced inspection following "concerns" received about the care home, and after an incident where "a person using the service died" - although the watchdog said the inspection did not examine the death itself.

The inspection found risks "were not always managed in a safe way" and incidents were not properly recorded to reduce further accidents, according to the CQC summary report.

Medicines were also "not being managed safely" and were sometimes returned in an "as and when" fashion "with no detail as to why this was given".

Allegations were not always reported or investigated meaning "people were not always protected from the risk of abuse or neglect", the watchdog added.

The report claimed some residents were served food that had gone cold and there were "times when people were not treated in a kind and dignified way".

However, inspectors did see "examples of staff being caring and considerate" and said people had access to health care when they needed it.

It also noted "good infection control" in some areas and praised "effective and safe recruitment practices when employing new staff".

Dormy House, which is run by Aria Healthcare, will likely be re-inspected within six months to see if it has improved.

A spokesperson for the home said the "health, safety and wellbeing of our residents is our absolute priority" and that they would take the report "very seriously".

They said new management had been hired "to support the drive for improvement".

"We take our duty to treat our residents with respect and dignity extremely seriously and we believe the CQC will recognise the positive progress that has already been made at our next inspection," they added.