Special measures taken against ‘unsuitable’ Gateshead care home

A Gateshead care home has been placed in special measures following a “significant deterioration” in standards.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated Addison Court, in Crooked Crook, Co Ryton, as inadequate following an inspection in November.

The home provides residential care for up to 70 senior citizens and is operated by Malhotra Care Homes Limited.

Inspectors visited the facility due to concerns about staffing, movement and support of personnel, recruitment, and management oversight.

A spokesperson for the home said it was disappointed with the inspection results and that “significant efforts” had been made to rectify the concerns raised.

CQC Northern Operations Deputy Director Linda Hurst said: “When we inspected Addison Court, we were disappointed to see a significant decline in the level of care provided.” At the time of our visit, leaders were working on an improvement plan, but it was too early to see adequate progress.

“Among agency staff employed from home, more people say they don’t fully understand people’s needs. Some staff say they haven’t been onboarded or taken over and are worried that people are suffering. They also received no training on how to support people when they needed specific care that put them at risk of harm.

“Furthermore, recruitment checks did not always follow the provider’s own recruitment processes. Some references were inadequate and some application forms were not fully completed, which compromised people’s safety. It is important to carry out thorough checks to protect yourself.”

She continued: “In any care setting it is important that incidents and risks to people are investigated as quickly as possible to prevent people from harm and to ensure lessons are learned, but this has not always been the case at Addison Court. Not.

“For example, there was a huge increase in falls in homes between June and July, but nothing was being done to find out why or take precautions to keep people safe. did not.

“However, we also saw some positive areas of care. The welcoming and spacious environment is tailored to the needs of people with dementia, and there is signage to help orient people around the house. It was installed.

“The house also has two activity coordinators and we saw birthdays and wedding anniversaries being celebrated during our tour.

“We have told leaders where we expect improvements and will continue to closely monitor homes to keep people safe during this period. We will be back, and if people are not receiving the care they are entitled to expect, we will not hesitate to take further action.”

This home was rated as:

Is the service safe? insufficient

Is the service effective? needs improvement

Is the service considerate? needs improvement

Is the service responsive? needs improvement

Are the services properly managed? insufficient

Overall rating: inadequate

This service is subject to special measures and will continue to be closely reviewed to ensure people’s safety and, if the CQC does not recommend deregistering the provider, to see if there are any significant improvements. A re-examination will be conducted.

A spokesperson for Addison Court Care Home said: “We have considered the comments provided by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and have confirmed that we have not met the customary high standards at Addison Court Care Home. “We are disappointed in the report’s findings showing deviations.”

“Following publication of the report, extensive work has been undertaken to redress the concerns highlighted and we are actively working with local authorities, the CQC and relevant stakeholders. , addressing the identified issues.The Home Management Structure was introduced as part of this collaborative effort.

“We strongly believe that Addison Court will be assessed by the CQC at future inspections as having restored its previous exemplary standards.”

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