Rotherham care home in special measures for second time

The home was inspected in October, the CQC said

A care home in Rotherham has been put in special measures after being rated inadequate for a second time by a watchdog.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said Layden Court in Maltby was inspected in October following concerns raised by Rotherham Council.

Inspectors found care plans for people living with dementia were not in place, which led to a number of incidents "where people had come to harm".

The home declined to comment.

The home provides personal and nursing care for older people, including those living with dementia.

There were 49 people using the service at the time of the inspection, the CQC said.

Jenny Wilkes, CQC deputy director of operations in the north, said there was a "significant shortfall of strong leadership" at the home.

"We found leaders hadn't implemented effective systems and processes, which meant they didn't know when people were at risk so they could put measures in place to protect them," she said.

'Avoidable incidents'

She said assessments and care plans were not always "accurate or detailed" enough.

"For example, people at risk of choking didn't have clear instructions in their care plans so staff knew what care and support to give people in relation to their food and drinks," she said.

Ms Wilkes said clear care plans were also not in place for residents with dementia or other individuals care needs.

"This resulted in a high number of potentially avoidable incidents where people had come to harm."

The inspectors also found there were not enough staff on duty to meet people's needs and medicines were not managed safely.

However, they said residents enjoyed the food provided and found staff to be kind and caring.

Ms Wilkes said they had told the home what areas they expected to see "rapid and widespread improvements"..

"We will return to check on their progress and won't hesitate to take further action if people are not receiving the care they have a right to expect," she said.

Layden Court was rated inadequate in August 2022, but rated good in March 2023.