'˜Unsafe' Bracklesham care home '˜put people at risk'

Hooklands Care Home and Nursing, at West Bracklesham Drive, provides accommodation for up to 27 older people who require nursing or personal care.

An unannounced inspection, carried out by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), took place in January and found the home ‘required improvement’ in a number of areas and was ‘inadequate’ for safety.

Inspectors stated in the report: “The service was not safe. People were at risk of receiving inappropriate care or treatment because risks to their health, safety and welfare had not been assessed or managed consistently.

“There was no system in place to ensure that medicines were managed safely and the competency of staff administering medicines had not been checked.”

According to CQC, one person had lost 4.5kg between October 2016 and January 2017, however no care plan had been put together to address the weight loss.

Findings also showed that new employees had started working at the care home before the ‘necessary recruitment checks’ had been completed.

Inspectors continued in the report: “The service was not always effective. Some staff had not received necessary training to enable them to provide effective support to people. 
“Although staff felt supported, they had not received recent supervision or an appraisal of their performance.”

CQC found where people lacked the capacity to make decision to their care and treatment, staff did not understand or put into practice the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA).

Inspectors said this meant people’s wishes and rights may have been overlooked.

CQC also found five breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

Hooklands Care Home was contacted by the Observer but the manager declined to comment.