Rochdale care home given sixth poor inspection

Inspectors found residents were at "increased risk of harm" at Beechwood Lodge

A care home has been placed in special measures after being ordered to improve for a sixth time.

Beechwood Lodge, in Norden, Rochdale, could be closed down if it fails to make "significant improvements" over the next six months.

Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors found there was "an increased risk that people could be harmed" at the Meadow View home.

A spokesman for the home said it was making improvements.

The CQC has not rated the home, which cares for up to 66 people including those living with dementia, "good" since 2015.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said an inspection in 2019 found it had breached care regulations in relation to safeguarding people from abuse and staff training.

However, when officials returned in May this year, they again rated it as "requires improvement".

Inspectors found some aspects of the service were not always safe and the report criticised management and recruitment.

'Action plan'

The report highlighted failures to check employment histories and reasons for leaving previous employment.

Inspectors also found medicines were not always managed safely and saw one person about to leave the home without the lap belt fastened on their wheelchair.

They also found no evidence to show electrical work had been carried out following an "unsatisfactory" safety check in February 2020.

A spokesman for the home said: "Following the pressures of the pandemic we are now in a position to progress the necessary improvements in the quality of the service, and we are actively engaged with CQC to deliver our action plan."