Inadequate care home placed in special measures

The care home was rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission

A care home has been placed in special measures after being rated inadequate by a watchdog.

Haythorne Place in Sheffield was inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), in part because a person living at the home died.

In a report, the CQC said the home had breached three legal regulations in relation to safe care and treatment, staffing and governance.

A spokesperson for the home apologised for the shortcomings and said it would work "tirelessly" to make the necessary improvements.

Haythorne Place, which is run by Roseberry Care Centres GB Limited, provides care for up to 120 people who have mental health conditions or dementia.

At the time of the inspection in May, there were 75 people living at the home, which was previously rated as "requires improvement", the CQC said.

Inspectors found people were not safeguarded from abuse and avoidable harm due to low staffing levels and were often left alone for long periods of time.

In their report, they said people at the home were at risk of infection due to dirt and bad smells and waste removal rooms, which contained harmful chemicals, were found unlocked.

Other issues identified included inaccurate risk assessments and care plans and low staff morale.

According to the CQC, the inspection was prompted in part due to a death at the home which raised concerns about safety and the standard of care.

The watchdog said the incident was subject to further investigation and was not examined during the inspection.

Haythorne Place has now been placed in special measures and will be monitored by the CQC to ensure "sufficient improvements are being made".

Alan Stephenson, CQC deputy director of operations in the north, said: “When we inspected Haythorne Place, it was concerning to see a lack of strong leadership, or a culture that didn’t encourage high-quality care.

"This was affecting people living at the home as there weren’t effective processes in place to enable staff to provide safe, dignified, person-centred care."

Haythorne Place has apologised to residents and their families and said it had employed a new and experienced home manager since the inspection took place.

A spokesperson said: "The home manager, together with our full leadership team, is working closely with the local authority and our progress is being closely monitored by all.

“We take feedback from the CQC seriously and we will work tirelessly to make all necessary improvements.”

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