Six Lincolnshire care homes ‘require improvement’ following inspections

Six Lincolnshire adult social care services have been given ratings of “requires improvement” after the Care Quality Commission carried out inspections in the final few months of 2015.

A series of reviews were conducted by CQC inspectors from September to December 2015 in Lincolnshire residential centres, with the results published on January 28.

The six services found to be requiring improvement were:

• Minster Court Limited, Bracebridge Heath
• Mears Care, Lincoln
• Chestnuts Retirement Home, Ruskington
• Ashdene Care Home, Sleaford
• Drovers Call, Gainsborough
• Kimberley Care Village, Long Sutton

An inspection of Minster Court Limited sheltered housing off York Way Bracebridge Heath on December 8 found that the leadership and safety provided by the service was in need of improvement.

Medicines were not consistently recorded by staff at the complex, which provides a personal care service to 12 adults of all ages with a range of health care needs who live within Minster Court.

Risk assessments were not always completed meaning that the service was “not consistently safe.”

The report also noted that the service was not consistently well led.

Systems and processes in place to check the quality of care and improve the service were not always effective and staff were unclear about the whistleblowing policy.

Despite this, the report said that the service was caring, effective and responsive, ranking all three of these criteria as ‘good’.

A spokesperson for Retirement Security, the company which runs the care home, said: “As you are probably aware the new guidelines for CQC inspections were altered from April 2015.

“The findings are that we were pleased with the overall result but the report highlighted just a couple of minor things in two of the five areas reported on. These have now been addressed.

“All those in receipt of care from staff at Minster Court that were interviewed were very happy with the service they received.”

The findings from Minster Court followed an inspection of Mears Care based at Weaver Road on November 11.

Inspectors found that that the safety, effectiveness and responsiveness of the service required improvement but the leadership and caring nature was praised.

At the time of the inspection, Mears Care provided healthcare to around 270 adults, and the service was supplying approximately 2500 hours of care a week.

Inspectors noted that medicines were not consistently recorded and people did not always get their medicines on time.

People’s health needs were also not consistently recorded to enable staff to be able to respond to them.

The report added that care plans were personalised but people were not always aware of them and care was not always provided at the time people requested.

Better news was found at The Croft in Scopwick, which provides care and support to people with autism, and the Apex Care Centre for over 65s in Mablethorpe, both of which were rated as ‘good’.