Bognor care home submits action plan after latest inspection

Hammonds, a residential home in Hawthorn Road providing personal care for people with a learning disability and/or other health conditions, was rated ‘good’ in safety and effectiveness but told it ‘requires improvement’ in care, responsiveness, and leadership.

West Sussex County Council, which runs the care home, said the report ‘highlighted a number of positive practices’.

A spokesman said: “These include the effective assessment of people’s needs and ensuring residents are safe and protected from avoidable harm.

“We recognise there are some improvements required. The council has already submitted an action plan to the Care Quality Commission and is working to address the areas highlighted in the report.”

The care home accommodates 14 people across three separate buildings, each of which has separate adapted facilities.

The inspection summary read: “The principles and values of Registering the Right Support ensure people with a learning disability and or autism who use a service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best outcomes that include control, choice and independence.

"The provider had not always consistently applied these values. The numbers accommodated are not in line with best practice guidance.”

After a routine visit on August 20, inspectors found that the care home ‘requires further development’ to be able to deliver support for people that is consistent with the values.

The inspector added: “People’s communication needs were not fully supported to enable them to have maximum control of their lives. People were not always receiving respectful or dignified support.”

The inspector said it ‘observed some positive interactions’ between staff and residents. Residents and relatives also ‘spoke fondly about the staff’.

It was noted that, since the last report in August 2018, improvements had been made to the management of medicines and risk assessments around people’s health needs.

The inspector said that staff had worked at the service for a long time and felt they were overall well supported by the management and ‘worked together effectively as a team’.

Read the full report here.