Inadequate care home in special measures

The home, on Grove Lane in Hemsworth, has been given six months to make "significant improvements"

A West Yorkshire care home has been told to make "rapid and widespread" improvements, after being placed in special measures by the health watchdog.

Springfield Grange, in Hemsworth, was rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after inspectors visited the venue in January.

In their report, inspectors said there was a lack of leadership at the home, medicines were not always stored safely and there were no scheduled activities for residents to enjoy.

Portland Care, which owns the home, has been approached for comment.

The home, which was caring for 49 people at the time of the inspection, must make "significant" progress, the CQC said, or risk being shut down.

The regulator's report on the service said there was a "lack of oversight" from managers at the home, as well as "ineffective auditing and assessment".

Inspectors told how one relative of a resident expressed concerns their family member's hair had not been washed for some time.

The CQC also said that risk assessments for some residents "were not up to date, incorrectly completed or blank" and that many families had issues contacting and getting into the home to see their relatives.

Sheila Grant, the CQC's deputy director of operations in the North, said the regulator found residents "sat around, not communicating with others", because of a lack of activity.

She said: "A relative said the provider promised regular activities when people came to the home, but this hadn’t happened.

"We have told Springfield Grange where we expect to see rapid and widespread improvements and will continue to monitor them closely to keep people safe while this happens.

"We will return to check on their progress and won’t hesitate to take action if people are not receiving the care they have a right to expect."

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