Nursing home downgraded to ‘inappropriate’ after resident was seen wandering around naked during inspection

Special measures were put in place at a care home after residents were allowed to wander around naked during inspections.

The findings were made by inspectors who visited the home in Charmandine Road, Worthing, who branded the service “inadequate”.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) highlighted several areas in a damning report into the home, which accommodates up to eight people with learning disabilities and other health needs.

Inspectors found that staff allowed residents to wander around the house naked and did not protect residents’ privacy and dignity.

“The majority of our inspections involved an individual undressing in common areas of the home, including in the hallway by the front door,” the report said. .

“The staff did not think about how to protect this person’s modesty before opening the door to visitors.”

Inspectors also found that staffing shortages were impacting people’s ability to access desired activities.

One resident said, “I like to go out a lot, but we always don’t have enough staff.”

Inspectors found the service did not always record incidents and failed to learn from them and how they could be avoided or mitigated.

Staff told inspectors there was a number of incidents of “self-harm” that were uncontrolled.

It turned out that the kitchen was too small for their needs and did not accommodate someone using a wheelchair.

Care workers did not have the necessary skills to engage with people who used other means of communication, such as sign language or voice.

Some told inspectors they felt isolated and expressed concerns about their health.

Staffing levels are reportedly consistently below what is needed to meet people’s needs and keep them safe.

The report found that people felt relaxed with staff and spoke positively about the service and staff. And staff follow effective processes to provide the support people need to take their medicines safely.

Our last review for service with our previous provider was published on October 14, 2017 and was ‘Good’.

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Special measures are currently in place on Charmandine Road.

This is a process by which CQC attempts to improve inadequate services.

To do this, health watchdogs provide clear deadlines (usually within six months) within which care homes must improve.

Failure to improve services could lead to the closure of nursing homes.