'Black mould and unsafe stairs' at Liverpool care home, CQC finds

The home was put into special measures last February

Black mould and a staircase falling away from the wall are some of the issues that have been found at a care home currently in special measures.

Care Quality Commission (CQC) officials have raised a number of concerns about Waverley Care Home in Liverpool.

An inspection in November identified holes in the ceiling where 11 people lived and people at risk of scalding.

A spokesperson for the home, which is run by nuns, said they were "doing our best to rectify" the issues.

The home, in Sefton Park, will be under close supervision, remaining in special measures for at least six months.

The three-storey building is registered to support up to 20 people with nursing needs.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service writes that it was put in special measures having been found to be inadequate last February.

Officials made an unannounced visit two months ago and were not satisfied that adequate improvements had been made.

Inspectors found rooms were unkempt, with window ledges covered in mould and curtains hanging off.

Holes were found in ceilings and a large gap between an external door and frame, leaving the kitchen area exposed to potential vermin.

A broken bath panel was found in a bathroom while a radiator cover fell off having not been fixed to the wall.

The report added the main staircase leading to the lower ground of the home was coming away from the wall, and easily accessible to people on the ground floor as it did not have keypad access.

This meant someone could injure themselves on the staircase.

The dining room at the Sefton Park location was used as a storage room, posing a fire risk.

'Poorly presented food'

Electrical plug socket wires were left trailing across the floor, increasing trip hazards and the inspection also found water temperatures were out of required range, with no action taken, leaving residents at risk of being scalded.

Despite this, people told CQC officials they felt safe at the home and staff knew how to report concerns.

This was amid one person falling three times in a short period of time and sustaining a serious injury.

The report said: "The records regarding the incident were unclear and there was no further investigation into what happened and what could be done differently.

"This also means there was no opportunity to learn lessons when things went wrong."

Food was also poorly presented according to officials, who saw broccoli being served out of an empty water jug, which "did not look appetising."

A spokesperson for Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy said: "We have been working on what they found, we're doing our best to rectify what they found and we've done a lot."

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