St Jude Care Home probe: Home 'needed improvements'

A report, by Care Inspectorate Wales, found some improvements were needed at the home

Inspectors had previously demanded improvements at a dementia care home being investigated by police, it has been revealed.

St Jude Care Home, in the Roath area of Cardiff, is being shut while the investigation takes place.

A 44-year-old woman, from Pontypridd, has been arrested.

A recent report by Care Inspectorate Wales found some legal requirements were not being met in some aspects of quality of care.

South Wales Police said officers were working with Care Inspectorate Wales to contact residents' next of kin about the investigation.

Cardiff council and Cardiff and Vale Health Board have stepped in to provide care at the home while alternative accommodation is found.

On Thursday a 44-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of ill treatment by a care provider and ill treatment of a patient lacking capacity. She has since been released on bail.

Care Inspectorate Wales said they found the service "did not meet legal requirements" during an inspection on 5 November 2020.

The watchdog said after it received "concerns about quality of care and management of infection prevention and control" it then "immediately undertook a follow up inspection" on 29 January 2021.

'Intention to close'

The home has places for 38 residents with dementia and was registered in 2018 by E&A Homes Ltd, but Cardiff council said the owner had "expressed their intention to close the private care home".

"Significant staffing and management support has been provided by Cardiff council and the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, with immediate measures having been put in place to ensure the well-being of residents," the council said in a statement.

Care Inspectorate Wales said the home had been inspected five times since the home was re-registered in 2018.

The report found staff at the home treated residents with respect

In a report by Care Inspectorate Wales completed in November 2020, issues were raised surrounding care, but none was serious enough to prompt the care home being served a"non-compliance notice".

Inspectors found that while the care home was of a good standard, and residents were "happy with the support they receive", people were "not always as healthy as they can be and do not always receive proactive care", with documents not always kept up to date.

The report said overall, care staff treated residents with "respect and have good relationships" and staff put residents at "ease through conversation and humour".

However, Care Inspectorate Wales said there was a "change of management oversight and no responsible individual was in place".

Inspectors concluded legal requirements were not being met in some aspects of quality of care, and further improvements were required.

"Three areas of non-compliance were identified and the provider was told to take action," it said in a statement.

Police urged anyone with information or concerns to get in touch.