Leicestershire care home rated inadequate by CQC inspectors

The CQC carried out the unannounced inspection in December

A watchdog is demanding improvements at a care home in Leicestershire after an unannounced inspection rated it unsafe.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) visited Lenthall House in Market Harborough in December last year.

Officials found hazardous substances were left out and there was no registered manager in charge.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has contacted Leicestershire County Care Ltd, which runs the site, for a comment.

Inspectors had rated the home as good at its last inspection in 2018.

Potentially hazardous substances

The CQC said it carried out an unannounced inspection after concerns were raised over staffing levels, staff training, recurrent falls and a lack of management oversight.

It found people had access to potentially hazardous substances, such as hand sanitiser and alcohol wipes, with two bottles of sanitiser and four packs of wipes left unattended in the dementia unit.

"There was a risk people may ingest the contents of the bottles or be exposed to harmful fumes emitted by the alcohol wipes, which would be hazardous to their health," the report said.

Similar concerns were also raised about the storing of medicines, some of which were left in residents' bedrooms.

Medicines were also not always effectively administered, the report stated, with times of administration not always recorded.

Staff shortages meant workers had been told to "focus on care tasks and only record the most important information", meaning the home could not prove people had the care and support they required - putting people "at risk of deterioration in their physical and mental health".

However, residents and their relatives told the CQC they felt people who used the service were safe, with one relative saying: "We feel [name] is safe and is well looked after."