Willenhall care home placed in special measures by inspectors

Swan House in Willenhall was not well managed and staff had a lack of understanding about their roles, inspectors said.

A care home has been placed in special measures after failing to make improvements following a previous inspection.

Residents at Swan House in Willenhall, West Midlands, were at risk of harm, said the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Among the findings of inspectors were a lack of staff and in some cases relatives came in to help family members eat meals.

Operator Absolute Healthcare Swan House Limited was approached for a response.

The home, on Pooles Lane, which could care for up 45 people, was previously rated overall as "requiring improvement".

This was lowered to "inadequate" after the inspection in November.

The home was not well managed and there was a lack of understanding from staff about their roles, which placed people at risk of harm, said the CQC.

It was "disappointing" to find the home had not made the improvements it was told to carry out after a previous inspection in August, they added.

Care plans and risk assessments did not have enough detail and were not always being followed, inspectors said.

Relatives helped feed family members

Staff did not have detailed guidance on how to support residents when they became emotionally distressed.

At times this led to residents assaulting other people living in the home which was "unacceptable" and put them at "significant risk", said the CQC.

There were not enough staff, and in some cases, relatives came in at lunchtimes to help their loved ones to eat, as they were concerned they would not otherwise get the support they needed.

One resident was found to be at risk of choking as their food was not being cut up, inspectors added.

However, the home was clean on the day of inspection and signs were used to support people living with dementia, the CQC said.

Being in special measures meant the home would be kept under close review to keep people safe and monitored to make sure sufficient improvements were made, they added.