Rose Cottage care home in Thornton rated 'inadequate'

The rating of Rose Cottage in Thornton dropped from requires improvement following a four-day inspection in May and June by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The care home, which supports adults - some living with dementia or physical disabilities, was rated 'inadequate' overall and will be kept under review.

The CQC said the inspection was "prompted in part by notification of an incident following which a person using the service died" and to follow up on action the home was told to take at an inspection in 2022.

Sheila Grant, CQC deputy director of operations in the north, said it was concerning to see people were being cared for in an environment that was “well below the standard that people should be able to expect”.

She said: “Rose Cottage is somewhere that people using this service call home and leaders weren’t ensuring it was a safe clean place for them to live.

"For example, there was a window which was accessible to people and opened fully onto a conservatory roof. The provider assured us this had been fixed immediately when we raised it on the first day, however it was still the same when we returned on the second day posing a significant risk to people.

“Infection outbreaks weren’t being effectively prevented or managed. We found soap dispensers in the bathroom and toilet were empty, as well as most bedrooms.

“Additionally, it was concerning that people were being deprived of their privacy and dignity due to ongoing issues with the laundry service including clothes going missing and other people's clothes appearing in the wrong bedroom despite being labelled. The provider told us people's wash bowls were being used to transport dirty laundry which is totally unacceptable.”

The care home has been placed in special measures (Image: PA)

She added that "medicines weren’t managed safely". 

A spokesperson for Rose Cottage told the Telegraph & Argus that they were dismayed by the CQC’s rating and that they “challenged several aspects of the report”.

They added that at the time of the inspection, the home was undergoing refurbishment with several workmen on site, which interrupted the daily cleaning programme briefly.

The representative went on to say that days after the CQC inspection, they scored a high 95 per cent in a local Infection Prevention Control audit – adding that this reflected the home’s true environment.

They also disputed the CQC’s comments about the laundry system, saying the labelled wash bowls are used to sort clean clothing to cut down on missing items.

“In regards to concerns of a service user dying, both Bradford Safeguarding and the police have now closed the case as the home had mitigated the risk and measures were in place for people’s safety," they added. 

However, the CQC report found:

•            People were at risk of harm as the provider had not identified, assessed or mitigated risks, around health and care needs as well as environmental.

•            Medicines were not managed safely.

•            There were not enough staff to meet people's needs and keep them safe.

•            CQC were not assured staff had received the training they needed for their roles.

•            Recruitment processes were not thorough.

•            People's dignity was not always maintained, and they were not always treated with respect.

•            People's care records were not always accurate and fully reflective of people's needs.

•            There was a lack of consistent and effective leadership and quality assurance systems were not effective.

•            People were not supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives.

Inspectors did highlight some positives, including that safeguarding processes were followed and that accident and incident reporting and analysis had improved.

They added that people received a choice of meals, snacks and drinks and the dining experience had improved.

“People and relatives were generally positive about the service. Staff were described as kind and caring,” they added.

They also added that action was taken during the inspection to address some of the issues raised.

The Rose Cottage spokesperson added the home is "fully committed to making improvements within the service and working with the CQC to raise our ratings in the future". 

They added: “We have already taken significant strides forward since the inspection and have made changes against all areas of concern raised by the CQC.

"We will continue to aim to work in line with a 'good' rated service.

“Following the inspection, we have consulted people who use our service including families and staff and are overwhelmed by the support we have received.”

They added that families had described Rose Cottage as a “home from home and not at all like a care home” and that families didn’t feel the report reflected all the positive feedback they had provided.