Leicestershire care home rated inadequate by CQC

The inspectors said they had seen "a significant deterioration in the level of care"

Black mould was found at a care home which has been rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Glenfield a care home run by Heathcotes Care Limited, in Leicestershire, was inspected in October and November.

The home provides personal care for up to six adults with physical or learning disabilities.

The inspectors said they had seen "a significant deterioration in the level of care being provided to people which placed them at risk of harm".

'Disappointing'

The home cares for people who have a sensory impairment, physical or learning disability, mental health need or autistic young people.

The mould was found in an en-suite bathroom, while dirt was also found in other areas of the home.

Craig Howarth, deputy director of operations, Midlands Network, said: "When we inspected Glenfield, it was disappointing to see a significant deterioration in the level of care being provided to people which placed them at risk of harm.

"The provider failed to ensure people were living in a clean environment.

"For example, one person's bedroom had a stained en-suite with black mould present, and the communal hallways, kitchen, bathroom and lounges had a build-up of dust, dirt, stains and spillages which is unacceptable.

"We discussed our concerns about the cleanliness of the service with the home's management and a deep clean was conducted.

"The inspection team visited after the deep clean, and whilst some improvements had been made, there were still unclean areas which posed an infection risk to people.

"It was also concerning that some staff weren't aware of how to support or follow guidance to reduce people's behaviours when they were distressed or behaving in a dangerous manner.

"This increased the risk of people's behaviour escalating resulting in harm to themselves or staff."

The latest inspection was carried out due to concerns received in relation to the management of medicines and people's care needs.

Following the inspection, the overall rating for the service dropped from good to inadequate.

The areas of safe and well-led dropped from good to inadequate and effective dropped from good to requires improvement.

Mr Howarth said inspectors would continue to monitor Glenfield closely.