A Nantwich care home which was plunged into controversy after the death of one of its missing dementia patients, has been ruled “inadequate” after its latest inspection.
And it has emerged that Brookfield House Care Home, on Shrewbridge Road, is now the centre of a police and local authority investigation into allegations of neglect.
It follows a series of allegations made to the Care Quality Commission, who sent in a team of inspectors unannounced to the home on two separate days in July.
Now, in a damning 13-page report, the CQC has placed the home in special measures after ruling it was not providing ‘safe care’ and was not being ‘well led’.
It’s the second time in two years the home has faced a battle to stay open after CQC placed it in special measures in 2016 following the disappearance of Roy Tomlinson (pictured, below).
He was allowed to walk out of Brookfield unchallenged on January 26 2016, sparking a massive police and public search.
Tragically, the 83-year-old was found dead six days later in an outbuilding off Wellington Road just a few hundred yards from the care home, which is run by Astley Care Homes Ltd, based in the Midlands.
The latest report into the 51-bed facility comes after the two-day inspection in July prompted by allegations received about the way the home was being run.
A Cheshire Police spokesman confirmed: “The investigation relates to allegations of neglect that have been made to both Cheshire Constabulary and the Care Quality Commission.
“The investigation is in its very early stages and no arrests have been made. Inquiries are currently ongoing.”
The CQC report states: “We found the service was not safe or well led and people were at risk of receiving unsafe and ineffective care.
“We identified breaches of the regulations in respect of Person Centred Care, Safe Care and Treatment, Safeguarding service users from abuse and improper treatment, and Good Governance.
“The registered manager and the deputy manager had failed to protect people from the risk of abuse when allegations of abuse were made.
“The registered manager failed to notify the Commission of allegations of abuse and when we asked why they gave us false and misleading information.
“We identified institutionalised care practices, including day staff getting people ready for bed in the early evening purely as a measure to assist night staff and night staff dressing people in the early morning and putting them back to bed fully clothed purely to assist day staff.
“We found one person’s care plan outlined a care practice which was potentially dangerous and put the vulnerable person at risk.
“We found people had not always received their medicines as their doctor had prescribed them and a medicines trolley was left unattended near to where people were seated with a bottle of medicine on top.
“We found care records could not be relied upon.
“Care staff were not always making timely or accurate records of care provided and we witnessed staff falsifying records of food and fluids given to one person.
“The provider and registered manager had failed to take effective action to address the breaches in regulations at our last inspection, which meant people had
remained at risk of receiving unsafe and infective care.”
The report highlighted some positive aspects, including the home being “clean and odour free throughout”.
“Most of the people spoken with presented as relaxed and at ease in the home’s environment,” says the report.
“They all spoke well of the care provided and we could see they had good relationships with the staff.
“They told us that they were offered plenty of drinks and the food was good.”
Now the home could face closure unless it can turn itself around in six months.
The CQC adds: “The service will be kept under review and if needed could be escalated to urgent enforcement action.
“Where necessary, another inspection will be conducted within a further six months, and if there is not enough improvement we will move to close the service by adopting our proposal to vary the provider’s registration to remove this location from the providers registration.”
Councillor Janet Clowes, Cheshire East Council cabinet member for adult social care and integration, said: “We are aware of the ongoing issues in relation to Brookfield House Care Home.
“The CQC report, published on 13 August, 2018, relates to an inspection of the unit that took place during July of this year. Our team of specialist staff responded to concerns about aspects of care within the unit and we have been working closely with management and the Care Quality Commission.
“There are a number of investigations currently taking place and our focus is on the care and welfare of the residents of the home.
“The council continues to work with the CQC, care providers and partners to maintain the highest possible standard of care for our older and vulnerable residents and, wherever there are concerns about standards and quality of care, then the council will activate an immediate and robust action plan to work with the care home management and staff to address the issues.
“But this can only succeed with the full cooperation and commitment of the home and its staff and, as in the case of Brookfield House, our multi-disciplinary approach with partners has ensured that the care of the residents is paramount.”
We have also contacted Astley Care Homes Ltd and are awaiting their comments.
How many chances does this place get the report covers the same old things the last one did and still they get away with it. Does someone else have to die before the owners are changed. Profits before care that’s all they are interested in. The report is disgusting