'Inadequate' Exmouth care home to close
An Exmouth care home is set to close after the Care Quality Commission rated it 'inadequate' in an inspection in February.
The health watchdog found people at Cranford Residential Home, which had been 'good' in 2018, were "not safe and were at risk of avoidable harm".
Its findings included "poor oversight of people's oral health care". One individual needed help brushing their teeth twice a day, but records showed they only received support with cleaning their teeth on two occasions in 11 days.
A whistleblower also contacted the CQC as they were concerned one person was in pain due to poor catheter care.
Some people's personal hygiene was neglected. One person needed help washing and changing their clothes, but when a relative visited they were "distressed by their appearance as the person's clothes were dirty, undermining the person's dignity".
The CQC also found that "lessons were not learnt". For example, the registered manager had two dogs which they brought into the home and had injured three people. Previously, the dogs had also damaged furniture and defecated and urinated inside the home.
The registered manager has since resigned.
Staffing issues
When shifts ran below planned staffing numbers, staff said people's personal care and entertainment were often impacted. For example, showers were offered less frequently, and social activities were cancelled.
The culture and the way the home was managed left staff feeling "unsupported and overwhelmed at times".
Staff were working additional hours to cover sickness, vacancies and absences. The CQC said they were "demoralised and saddened by the negative changes in the atmosphere and the management of the home".
Provider 'upset and shocked'
During the inspection, a number of concerns were identified and shared with the provider, which took "quick action" to engage a consultant care company to manage the home and oversee the governance.
The provider also engaged a legal team to ensure they took the appropriate action to investigate the conduct of one staff member. The provider took the matter seriously and has worked alongside CQC and other agencies to address the issues.
The CQC said they also adapted their action plan as more information came to light, which showed they were "responsive and took the concerns seriously". They were "upset and shocked".
Since the inspection, their actions have placed the wellbeing and safety of people living and working at the home at "the heart of their plan to improve the service", the health watchdog added.
Care home to close permanently
The home is still hosting a small number of residents and is supporting them as they move to their new homes.
It will close permanently within the next few weeks after the last resident has moved to new accommodation.
A Cranford Residential Home spokesperson said: "We would only ever want to provide the best possible care for our residents at the Cranford.
"Since the inspection we have liaised closely with the CQC and the local authority and addressed the issues raised during the inspection with a new management team.
"However, this disappointing inspection follows the challenge of the global pandemic, the huge rise in the cost of living, and the staffing crisis in adult social care – and these combined challenges are so great that we have had no other option, sadly, than to close the home permanently.
"We would like to pay tribute to our staff whose tremendous commitment and hard work made the home such a nurturing environment over the years. We wish them and our residents all the very best for the future."
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