Care home near Chesterfield ordered to make improvements amid concern over staff conduct and resident safety

The Gables Retirement Home in Gables Close, Holmewood, was assessed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in May.

A report has now been published which reveals the home has received an overall rating of ‘requires improvement’ – its first rating since registering with a new provider in 2019.

The CQC said it carried out the unannounced check after receiving concerns about the conduct of staff.

Its report states: “Although people and their families told us they felt the service was safe we found several issues related to the safety. People were not consistently protected from risk as care plans and risk assessments were not always in place.

"Medicines were not always managed or stored safely. Issues with the cleanliness of the environment and equipment increased the risk of infection spreading. Systems were in place to protect people from the risk of abuse.

"The provider had taken opportunities to learn from incidents and improve care.

“There were enough staff to keep people safe, but people's families told us variations in staffing levels impacted upon the provision of person-centred care. We received variable feedback about the approach of staff and people's right to privacy was not always upheld.

"Most people had adequate care plans in place, however some people's needs were not always assessed in a timely manner and consequently staff were not consistently provided with adequate information to support people."

The Gables, which is operated by Serene Care Group, provides accommodation and personal care for up to 35 people.

On the day of the inspection, 23 people were using the service.

The CQC report did highlight some positives about the home, including the fact that ‘systems were in place to protect people from the risk of abuse’, people were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives, and that they received ‘received person centred, compassionate care at the end of their lives’.

Althought, inspectors found that systems to ensure the quality and safety of the service ‘were not always fully effective’ and that ‘there had been issues with the culture of the home which impacted upon care’.

The report adds: “We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress.

"We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.”

A spokesperson for Serene Care Group said: “We are disappointed with the rating of the CQC report as we do not believe it’s a true reflection of the service and indeed there are many more positive comments in the report than there are negative.

"We have already addressed and resolved any points raised and will continue to work transparently with the people we support, their families and health and social care professionals to deliver great person-centred care.

“We are also focussed on continuously improving the home via digitisation and continued investment in the environment amongst others.”