Director apologises after care home placed in special measures

A recent inspection found Milreed Lodge to be inadequate after inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) visited the home in June and found that levels of safety and leadership were inadequate, while levels of effectiveness, care and responsiveness required improvement.

The CQC report says “several regulatory breaches” were found, and that medicine management was not safe, which meant people were at risk of not receiving their medicines when they needed them.

The report also says there were not enough staff to keep people safe and meet their needs, while inspectors saw residents who were left unattended for long periods of time.

Inspectors were told that staff were kind and caring, and saw some caring interactions but also practices which showed a lack of respect for people.

Inspectors also found risks to residents were not always properly assessed or managed well, particularly in relation to fire safety. Following the inspection, the CQC have referred their concerns to the fire authority.

It was also found that residents’ care records were not personalised and did not reflect people’s needs or preferences, and there was not enough detail to guide staff about the care and support residents required.

The home is now in special measures, which means it will be kept under review and will be inspected again within six months.

If not enough improvement is made within this time-frame, the CQC may decide to take enforcement action.

Omar Ahmad, director of the Sage Care Homes group, said: “The full details of our CQC score can be seen in the report, which is published online.

“We have parted ways with the registered manager and have welcomed a new manager in Martha Hamill.

“Senior management will be ensuring that standards improve for the CQC’s return inspection.

“We are very grateful to Calderdale Council who are being very supportive. We apologise to the community and are working with our staff to ensure a better standard of care.”