Bootle care home in special measures over safety failings

St Nicholas Care Home in Bootle was inspected in August

A Merseyside care home has been placed in special measures after inspectors raised concerns over safety.

St Nicholas Care Home in Bootle was downgraded from requires improvement to inadequate by the Care Quality Commission watchdog.

Inspectors found some staff were not suitably trained and there was a high reliance on agency workers.

Managing director Michael Hartey said an improvement plan was in place and changes had already been made.

St Nicholas Care Home is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care for up to 176 people across six buildings.

At the time of the inspection two of the buildings were not in use and 93 people were living across four buildings.

One of the four buildings operating, Brockleback House, provides specialist nursing care to autistic people and people with a learning disability. It can accommodate 28 people and 19 people were residing on the unit at the time of inspection.

The other units provide nursing and residential care to older people, including several with dementia.

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about how people's safety was being managed, the CQC said.

The service had been rated as requiring improvement after an inspection in January and inspectors said it was "disappointing" actions from previous inspections had not been properly addressed, adding "swift improvements" were required to ensure people's needs were properly met.

'Poor quality activities'

Inspector Rebecca Bushell-Bauers said: "We were particularly concerned that nurses who held a specialist qualification in working with autistic people and people with a learning disability only worked night shifts, meaning daytime shifts weren't covered by suitably trained staff.

"We saw that during the day, this meant people weren't involved in the development and review of their care plans and we saw people not being given the opportunity to lead fulfilled and valued lives.

"The activities available were of poor quality and care staff didn't recognise planning social and leisure activities as part of their role."

The inspectors also found people were not always supported to make informed decisions about their care and were not always consulted before being provided with support.

However, Ms Bushell-Bauers, said inspectors did see other "positive areas of care", and that staff members "felt supported" and were knowledgeable about safe systems of work.

Managing director Mr Hartey said a new manager with clinical and CQC experience had been appointed and had "established a transformation and improvement plan in partnership with the council".

"Considerable hard work and determination has already gone into making the changes required since the inspection," he said.

"The service today looks very different to the service inspected on the 3 August.

"We feel confident that today people living in the home are now receiving the right supervision from clinically qualified staff and are able to lead fulfilled and valued lives with a range of activities now delivered through a designated activities team."

The CQC said the service will continue to be monitored to ensure significant improvements are made.