Residents did not receive enough to eat, systems were not in place to receive medicine safely and staff ‘took risks’ due to shortages, a report found.

Following a recent inspection, Badbury Care Home in Dorchester was deemed unsafe, poorly-led, in breach of health regulations and it was given an overall rating of inadequate.

Conditions were imposed on the care home in October 2016, after the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found two breaches of the Health and Social Care Act, 2008 in relation to skin damage, malnutrition and inadequate auditing systems.

However, the CQC reinspected the care home in July after receiving ‘significant’ concerns from local authority safeguarding teams, health care professionals and safeguarding alerts.

In a recently published report, inspectors identified five breaches in regulations, staffing, safe care and treatment, safeguarding, person centred care, and good governance. 

Two of which were repeat breaches over the previous two inspections.

Stock levels of medicines were not maintained, meaning prescribed pain medication was not always available.

Systems for the management of medicines were unsafe and did not protect people using the service. 

Inspectors found staff recorded residents refused pain medication when there were no medicine to give and one resident, who had the capacity to refuse medicine, was given medication covertly.

Residents were not given enough to eat or drink and inspectors noted they were at risk of dehydration and malnutrition.

One health professional told inspectors: “I am not sure the staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to understand some of the complex care needs of people they are supporting.”

One resident needed was at high risk of skin damage and pain and records stated they needed to be repositioned every 90 minutes however staff told inspectors they could not always help as they were ‘too busy’.

One staff member said: “It is stressful, there have been a lot of changes and staff leaving. There is no management support, they just put the pressure back on us and don’t listen.”

Another said: “We take risks, if there is not enough staff to do the double up, we do it ourselves.”

Several relatives also raised concerns about staffing levels to inspectors.
Inspectors said the deployment of staff meant people’s needs were not met and residents were not always supported in a way that promoted dignity.

The report comes after Maumbury Care Home, Dorchester, also run by Cheriton was found unsafe by the CQC in a report published in August.
The CQC report stated: “We are considering the action we are taking and will produce a further report.” 

A spokesperson for the Cheriton Care Centre stated: “We are very disappointed by the CQC inspection report and feel that it did not reflect the many positive elements of the home. 

"However, we have worked with our partners in local health and social care to make some necessary improvements. The home had been in administration and failing for many years when we took over in 2015, and has since undergone a major refurbishment programme and change process to ensure that it is fit for the future. 

"It takes time to embed the necessary positive change in such difficult sector conditions. In particular, the local health and social care workforce employment and skills challenges have impacted this, including the neighbouring home’s nursing challenges. 

"Both the care homes on the site now have dedicated managers and staffing structures, without the additional challenges of previous nursing provision and significant building works.

"Our priority is the ongoing care of and communication with our residents, their relatives and our dedicated care teams. We have evidence and feedback that the changes and additions to the team structure in the home has already addressed any areas of shortfall in the service and now provides the basis for consistently high quality care to be provided at the home.”