Sheffield care home placed in special measures
A care home in Sheffield has been rated "inadequate" and placed into special measures after a Care Quality Commission inspection.Lower Bowshaw View Nursing Home in Lowedges, run by Totalwest Limited, provides accommodation and care to older people, some of whom have dementia.The CQC said it will be "closely monitored" after receiving the worst possible rating, and will have to make improvements to services within a structured timeframe.Owner Ravivannan Premananthan said: "While the outcome is not what we would have hoped for, we accept the report's findings and are acting decisively to make the necessary improvements."
Alan Stephenson, CQC deputy director of operations in the north, said: "We will return to check on their progress and won't hesitate to use our regulatory powers further if people aren't receiving the care they have a right to expect."He cited "frequent leadership changes" as having a detrimental impact on the quality of care, and said concerns and issues raised at the last inspection had not been addressed.A high number of safeguarding concerns were being investigated, he added, including people having falls at the home and medication errors.Inspectors found that care plans often lacked detail and did not record residents' best interests, preferences, or wishes.They similarly found risk assessments lacked detail.One resident, for example, rushed their food and took large mouthfuls, putting them at risk of choking.The care plan stated they were at low risk and no management of the risk was detailed, meaning nothing was being done to prevent it.Another resident said: "I am incontinent as the staff don't come when I need to go to the toilet."Leaders did not involve others in decision-making or always listen to their concerns about health and safety, inspectors said, meaning accidents were at risk of reoccurrence."While staff were kind, caring and wanted the best for people, they were let down by a lack of proper support due to regular management changes," said Mr Stephenson."They were positive about the new management team and were hopeful for the future, but it was obvious leaders were struggling to implement new systems in a timely way to make the necessary improvements."Mr Premananthan said the home was now following a "comprehensive improvement programme".He said this included enhanced staff training, strengthened care planning systems, improved leadership, and immediate measures to meet health and safety standards."The safety, dignity, and wellbeing of our residents remain at the heart of everything we do," he said."We are working with pace and determination to restore confidence and ensure that the high standards of care our residents deserve are consistently met."We are fully committed to transparency and welcome any enquiries from the media, families, or members of the public."
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