Laurieston Care Home for the Elderly rated inadequate and placed in special measures by CQC

A link to where the inspection report is at the very end of this email

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated Laurieston Care Home for the Elderly in Cleveland inadequate and placed it in special measures, after finding significant issues regarding the quality of its care, governance and staffing.

Following a focused unannounced inspection in December and January, the overall care home rating has dropped from being good to inadequate. How safe and well-led the care home is, has also dropped from good to inadequate. How effective, caring and responsive the home is remains rated as good as these areas were not included in this inspection.

Due to the issues found in this latest inspection, the service has been placed in special measures and the CQC has told the provider that it must make improvements.

Laurieston Care Home for the Elderly, in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 16 people aged 65 and over.

Alison Chilton, CQC’s head of adult social care inspection, said:

“We carried out an inspection of Laurieston Care Home for the Elderly, due to concerns received about how people were being treated. We found a service that wasn’t being well-led, and several staff didn’t feel listened to, respected or supported. These issues need addressing as a matter of urgency to improve the culture in the organisation.

“During our visit we found that people weren’t always safe, and the provider didn’t always notify CQC about incidents which had occurred. During our inspection, we were made aware of incidents which had taken place. We immediately notified the local authority so they could take any necessary action to protect people. Also, the provider didn’t always make appropriate referrals to health professionals when people needed further assessments and support.

“We were concerned that people’s care plans weren’t always complete, and where risks were identified, they were not always managed. One person suffered a serious choking incident, and we were told there hadn’t been a known risk, however, their care plan stated that choking was a risk. There was no evidence of learning from incidents like this.

“This home needs to be run better by leaders. Managers failed to be aware, or understand, up to date guidance and best practice for infection prevention and control as well as medicine management. Additionally, the provider didn’t always ensure there were enough skilled staff on duty to meet people’s needs.

“Now the provider understands where improvements must be made, we will continue to monitor Laurieston Care Home for the Elderly closely, to ensure people are safe. If we are not assured people are receiving safe care, we will not hesitate to take further action.”

Inspectors found:

• This provider failed to protect people from abuse and avoidable harm.
• Risks to people were not always safely identified, assessed, and managed.
• There were significant gaps in people’s care plans.
• Medicines were not properly and safely managed.
• The provider failed to learn and make improvements when things went wrong.
• Safety concerns were not consistently identified or addressed quickly enough.
• There were insufficient suitably trained staff.
• The provider did not always follow or meet national guidance for infection prevention and control.
• Complaints were not handled seriously.

Find the full inspection report on CQC's website for Laurieston Care Home for the Elderly.

Notes to editor

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the CQC’s regulatory role has not changed. CQC’s core purpose of keeping people safe is always driving decisions about when and where we inspect. As the risks from the pandemic change, we are evolving how we regulate services to reflect what we have learnt during this time. You can read more about our current approach on our website.

CQC is listening to what people are saying about services to help detect any changes in care. If there is evidence people are at immediate risk of harm, CQC can and will take action to ensure that people are being kept safe.

CQC encourages people to give feedback as part of its 'Because we all care' Campaign, and people can give feedback about their care to CQC via the details below.

1. Give feedback via website
2. Telephone - 03000 616161

Contact  

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• Contact Helen Gildersleeve, regional communications and engagement officer, gildersleeve@cqc.org.uk
• Alternatively, you can email engagement@cqc.org.uk   

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