Solihull care home placed in ‘special measures’ after damning inspection

A Solihull care home has been placed in special measures after an inspection by the Care Quality Commission.

Fairfield Care Home in Olton was rated ‘inadequate’ following the November 14 appraisal.

The home, owned by Mr D and Mrs S Mayariya, was also found to have breached the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

The last five inspections have seen the home given a ‘required improvement’ rating. Its ‘inadequate’ assessment means it now has the lowest rating the CQC can determine.

The CQC report highlighted safety concerns and noted that a continuity plan was not in place to ensure “safe, consistent care in the event of an emergency”.

It reported: “Risks to people’s safety were not always identified. One person known to be at high risk of falls had to walk down five steps in a dimly lit corridor to get to their bedroom.”

The inspection also found issues with the management of medicine saying this ‘was not consistently safe.’

It added: “Staff administered some people’s medicines through patches applied directly to their skin. Records of patch application and removal sites were not clear which placed people at risk.

“Accurate completion of these records is extremely important to ensure application sites are rotated in line with manufacturer’s guidelines to prevent harm.”

Despite the issues identified, the home’s residents said ‘they felt safe.’ One person told inspectors: “I feel safe here, here there is someone else around.”

Care home inspectors also found that “people’s privacy and dignity was not maintained” and “people’s personal belongings were not treated with respect”.

It also said that the language that staff used when talking to residents was “not always respectful”.

The last inspection of the home found that areas required refurbishment to ensure it was a “pleasant environment”.

But improvements had not been undertaken – in the dining room, skirting boards were said to be covered in “a thick layer of dust” while a relative said the home needed a “good scrub”.

Worryingly, inspectors found that residents’ privacy and dignity was not maintained.

It noted that a lock was not fitted to a toilet door that opened directly onto a communal area. The door also did not close properly.

But people said they were happy with their care with one resident saying “I am happy, and I do like it, the carers are all very nice.”

Some aspects such as safety and support for new staff were judged to be good by inspectors but managers had failed to ensure employees had been provided with appropriate training and were competent in their roles.

This, they said, “potentially placed people and staff at risk”.

There had been a lack of consistent management and leadership at the service since 2015. Frequent management changes had impacted negatively on the quality and safety of care people received.

Susan Taylor, care home manager since October, told Birmingham Live: “We have been working hard and we have lots to do.

“We have a consultancy on board now and an action plan is in place.

“We have spoken to families, staff and relatives about it and the families are very supportive of us.

“Obviously everyone is very upset about the report but it’s heads down now.

“It’s not so much about the care but more the compliance side so it’s all about the consistency.”

Read the full inspection here: https://www.cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/new_reports/INS2-5837863071.pdf

Read more: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/solihull-care-home-placed-special-17362372