Sheffield care home rated 'inadequate' by government inspectors placed in special measures

Beechy Knoll Care Home in Richmond was branded 'inadequate' by the Care Quality Commission after an unannounced inspection back in August.

The care home received the lowest rating possible on all five categories of inspection and was subsequently placed in special measures.

The home's care, management, safety, responsiveness and effectiveness were all labelled as 'inadequate' by inspectors.

Inspectors said the home was in breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 on ten different occasions.

But care home bosses said they have made improvements since the inspection and are confident of moving out of special measures.

READ THE FULL REPORT HERE A CQC report stated there were no working showers on the premises, medicines were not stored safely, numerous medication errors had taken place and there were insufficient staff on shift.

One staff member told inspectors 'not every resident who needed a bath could have one' due to the low levels of staff.

Another staff member who spoke to inspectors said: "I don't have time to talk with people and I worry when I go home that I have done everything and have to double check. The low (number of) staff puts a lot of pressure on us there's quite a few residents to look after. If there is only three staff we do the odd bath but not as many as we should."

A third staff member told inspectors: "I like my job but at times it is hard, I don't like that we are understaffed it's really hard, I get stressed."

The report said inspectors witnessed 'some positive interactions' between staff and people who used the service but staff 'did not always respect people’s dignity' when communicating and supporting people.

A CQC spokesman said: "Services in special measures will be kept under review and, if we have not taken immediate action to propose to cancel the provider’s registration of the service, will be inspected again within six months.

"The expectation is that providers found to have been providing inadequate care should have made significant improvements within this time frame."

A spokesman from Beechy Knoll Care Home said: “A proactive approach has been taken to address the findings within the CQC report and to this end a service improvement plan has been implemented and support has been received from our senior management team to ensure the home provides the residents with a high level of care and support.

“We have actively recruited an experienced registered manager and deputy manager who join us from Sheffield Council. Together they have over seventy years of experience within the health and social care sector.

“We are extremely confident that significant progress has already been made and that the home is a safe and caring environment for the residents, and that our improvements will satisfy the Care Quality Commission on their return visit to inspect the home.”