Sheffield: Norbury Court care home placed in special measures

Norbury Court in Sheffield will be closely monitored by the Care Quality Commission

A care home where residents had to wear nightclothes all day has been rated "inadequate" by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Norbury Court, in Sheffield, has been placed in special measures by the watchdog following an assessment.

It emerged residents had to have bed baths instead of showers, which the CQC said was "totally unacceptable".

The home said it was taking action to address the issues and the wellbeing of its residents was a priority.

Alan Stephenson, CQC deputy director of operations in the north, said: "Staff told us people had to stay in their nightclothes during the day as there weren't any clean clothes available, and they were having to bed bath people instead of giving them proper showers because there weren't enough towels."

He said this was due to poor laundry processes.

"This is totally unacceptable and people at Norbury Court deserve to be treated with much more dignity and be given access to the same facilities that other people are able to take for granted.

The assessment in February also found other issues at the residential facility, which had 54 patients at the time of the inspection, included dirty armchairs and a "strong, unpleasant smell in some parts of the home".

The facility, run by Roseberry Care Centres Yorkshire Limited, also needed a "deep clean", the report found, and left residents at risk of infection.

Furthermore, relatives reported "abrupt" staff and having to wait for long periods of time to be let in.

Mr Stephenson said there was a lack of strong leadership and the culture they created did not provide high-quality care.

'Rapid improvement'

According to the CQC, the home's overall ratio has dropped from "requires improvement" to "inadequate", as have its ratings for being safe and well-led.

Its ratings for being caring and responsive have also dropped from "good" to "requires improvement".

Mr Stephenson added: "We have told Norbury Court where we expect to see rapid and widespread improvements and will continue to monitor them closely to keep people safe while this happens."

Norbury Court said it has installed a "new and experienced management team".

It continued: "Action taken has included the implementation of a new laundry process, the introduction of an updated infection control system, and a thorough deep clean of the home environment."