Springfield Park Care Home in special measures

Springfield Park Care Home has been put into special measures following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission in May.

The care home received an overall rating of inadequate, after a number of areas for concern were identified during the surprise inspection.

During the inspection, care staff were observed ‘drag lifting’ residents, lifting a person by their armpits which can result in severe injuries such as fractures and dislocations.

Inspectors also found a cushion had been placed under one person’s feet which did not safely reach the footplates on their wheelchair. The cushion was not fixed in place, and when asked, the inspectors were told it was a ‘special’ cushion.

Two members of staff making a thickened drink could not tell inspectors how much thickener was needed to make the drink safe, and inspectors were told that three people in the upstairs unit were at risk from poor nutritional intake, despite having no nutritional risks highlighted in their care plans.

Inspectors also found that staff were not recording when creams and ointments were administered, meaning it was hard to tell whether people always had their creams and ointments applied.

Some gaps and errors were also seen on the medicines administration records (MARs) for other medicines, with an ‘inconsistent approach’ to the recording of administration of 'as required' (PRN) medicines.

Staff also could not tell inspectors whether the temperature of the medicines’ storage room on the upper floor was monitored, and no evidence of a thermometer or records were seen, meaning medicines could have been stored at a temperature which may have had an impact on their effectiveness.

Staff deployment in the home was described as ‘chaotic’, with staff often found working in areas they weren’t meant to be. Inspectors were told staff did not know why they had been asked to support people on a different unit and said they did not know their needs.

Staff feedback about staffing levels was varied. Nursing staff expressed concerns at their ability to provide the care people needed.

One member of staff told inspectors: "There are just not enough nurses here to meet the needs of these people." Another member of staff said the delivery of care was ‘timed in relation to staff availability rather than in line with people's needs and preferences.’

Relatives were more consistently negative about the numbers of staff. One relative said: "I am concerned at night-time, only one staff member for upstairs residents."

Another relative said: "Needs have changed over the years, and they need more support and care for staff. Staff ratio should have increased but it hasn't."

Inspectors also found people did not always feel well-supported, cared for or treated with dignity and respect, and that their needs were not always met.

However, accidents and incidents were recorded and usually reported as required to statutory bodies such as the CQC, and staff could identify potential abuse.

Some staff said they would worry about making reports, particularly when this concerned other colleagues and their practice, but this was discussed with the registered manager, who identified an isolated cause for this and agreed to take action.

The provider followed safe recruitment practices by checking the work history of people applying to work at the home and ensuring that prospective staff were not barred from working with vulnerable people.

People's feedback about the cleanliness of the home and their rooms was almost all positive, and relatives told inspectors they had never experienced closure of the home due to an infection outbreak.

The service will now be kept under review with a reinspection over the next six months.

A spokesperson for Select Healthcare, which runs Springfield Park Care Home, said: “We are disappointed to receive our CQC report and warning notices following our recent inspection. The report identifies, that out of the five key areas of compliance, we require improvement in three areas and are rated as inadequate in the other two areas.

“We have produced a robust action plan and have met and agreed this with CQC, Rochdale Council and other parties. As the inspection took place on the 28th and 30th May 2019, we have been working towards implementing these actions since then and are progressing well with this process. We have already started to receive positive feedback from different parties in relation to the changes/improvements.

“We have been working closely with the Quality Assurance Team at Rochdale Council Adult Care Services and the local CCG and will continue to do so.

“Whilst we acknowledge the inadequate areas within the report, we are confident that Springfield Park can get back to reaching its full potential and provide the standard of care we expect within realistic timescales.

“We are here to answer any queries stakeholders may have and will continue to update all stakeholders with our progress.”