Latest news with #AlanStephenson
BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
'Concerning' Doncaster care home placed in special measures
A care home which put people at risk of harm has been placed into special measures by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).Anchor House in Doncaster, which provides personal care to residents with dementia, has been rated inadequate overall and told it is not safe, effective, responsive, caring or Stephenson, CQC deputy director in the north, said: "It was concerning to see that poor leadership and ineffective risk management had led to people being placed at [risk of] harm in a place they call home."Authentic Care Services Limited, which runs the site, has been contacted for a comment. Mr Stephenson said: "One person hadn't been to the dentist since 2021. When staff had taken people to appointments, nothing had been recorded in their care plans."The home had a very task-focused culture which was routine and transactional rather than innovative and supportive to ensure people's wellbeing."Many areas in the care home were not well maintained and some armchairs in the lounge were "dirty and in need of deep cleaning," according to the relating to water, medication and infection prevention and control were not effectively managed, which put people at risk of harm, the report said. 'Poor leadership' It stated leaders did not have the skills, knowledge or credibility to "understand what good care looks like" and lead effectively.A person who was blind said staff "don't understand" about their impairment."I have been hurt a couple of times when they have said 'come this way' instead of the way I know," they said."They don't keep things in the same places, and I never know what time it is."Another resident said they would have liked to get out of the home more, as they had "been out with one carer, but we don't get out a lot".Staff also did not always report safeguarding incidents to the relevant authorities, although some concerns had been raised to the CQC."They didn't feel able to speak up internally, and when they had, their concerns weren't dealt with which is totally unacceptable," Mr Stephenson CQC issued the home on Avenue Road with warning notices following the inspection, and said the site would be kept under close review to ensure it is was previously rated good in four out of five key categories, and good overall.A spokesperson for Anchor House said: "We acknowledge the findings of the recent inspection and are treating them with the utmost seriousness. The care, safety, and wellbeing of our residents are at the heart of everything we do, and we remain fully committed to meeting the high standards expected by regulators, residents, and their families."Since the inspection, we have taken immediate steps t-o begin addressing the concerns raised, including enhanced staff training, strengthened quality assurance processes and leadership reviews. We are working closely with the CQC and local authorities to implement a clear and structured improvement plan."We are determined to make the necessary changes to move forward positively and responsibly." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
BBC News
08-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
'Outstanding' Rotherham care home staff should be proud, says CQC
Two care homes which look after people with dementia have been rated outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).Moorgate Hollow and Moorgate Croft, which are both in Rotherham and are run by Moorgate Care Village Limited, were visited in are run as separate homes but are located on the same cul-de-sac alongside a third home also run by Moorgate Care Village Limited, Moorgate Lodge, which was rated good last Stephenson, CQC deputy director of operations in the North, said: "Everyone at Moorgate Hollow and Moorgate Croft should be extremely proud of what they've achieved together. " The report from the CQC revealed inspectors found staff at both homes were kind and listened to residents, and found innovative ways to support resident was quoted as saying: "Nothing is too much trouble – they always go out of their way to make me smile."Mr Stephenson said inspectors were impressed by the person-centred and innovative approaches to dementia care. They found staff were supporting people to maximise their independence, comfort and quality of life."People and their relatives at both homes said staff were kind and listened to them," Mr Stephenson person who used to sing in a church choir and often sang with a younger relative would be played a recording of their relative singing if they became distressed, the report said. At Moorgate Hollow, a wellbeing suite with a working kitchen had been created so people could take part safely in familiar day-to-day resident had a long history of baking with their family, and being able to bake in the suite was a source of home also created "The Hollow Arms", a lounge area themed like a pub to provide a safe and nostalgic space where they hold events such as quiz nights and live music for residents and their Stephenson from the CQC said: "Everyone at Moorgate Hollow and Moorgate Croft should be extremely proud of what they've achieved together. "Chris Lane, chairman of operator Park Lane Healthcare, said: "These fantastic results are a testament to the dedication, care and skill of the teams across all three homes at Moorgate."To receive two outstanding ratings and one strong good is an incredible achievement, and I couldn't be prouder of the people who made this happen." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Care provider in special measures over safety risk
A service which provides private care to people in their own homes in North East Lincolnshire has been placed into special measures. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated Unicorn Healthcare Services as inadequate and said it would be kept under close review to ensure its users were safe. Inspectors said medicines were not always administered safely and staff did not always have the qualifications, skills or experience to carry out their roles. Unicorn Healthcare Services, which is based in Cleethorpes, said it acknowledged the report but "respectfully disagreed" with some of the findings because they "do not accurately reflect the high quality of care provided". The inspection in October and November was made after the watchdog received concerns about the service from users and their families. Some of the concerns included people having to tell their carers what to do, staff not turning up and correct actions not always being taken when incidents occurred. Inspectors also found staff not wearing the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) at times, which "placed people at risk of infection". The CQC said it had issued a warning notice for company bosses to make "significant improvements around how they were managing the service". Alan Stephenson, CQC deputy director of operations in the north, said: "This service looks after people who rely on staff for their basic care needs and leaders must make the necessary improvements as a matter of urgency." He said the watchdog would "use our regulatory powers further if people aren't receiving the care they have a right to expect". Mr Stephenson also noted staff treated people with "respect and kindness" during visits. In a statement, Unicorn Healthcare Services said it had noted several areas of concern but wanted the CQC to "consider revising the inspection report to more accurately reflect the high-quality care provided". The provider said comments around the administration of medication were "inaccurate and misleading" and observations around staff skills and competence were "vague and unsupported". It also said the report "fails to recognize the numerous instances of exceptional care and support provided by our team". Following the inspection, Unicorn Healthcare Services said it had offered staff further training and improved the way it monitored performance to "meet the highest standards of care". The full inspection report will be published in the coming days. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Unicorn Healthcare Services Care Quality Commission
BBC News
07-02-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Cleethorpes care provider in special measures over safety risk
A service which provides private care to people in their own homes in North East Lincolnshire has been placed into special Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated Unicorn Healthcare Services as inadequate and said it would be kept under close review to ensure its users were the issues found by inspectors were medicines not being administered safely and staff not having qualifications, skills or experience to carry out their Healthcare Services, which is based in Cleethorpes, has been contacted for comment. The inspection in October and November was made after the watchdog received concerns about the service from users and their of the concerns included people having to tell their carers what to do, staff not turning up and correct actions not always being taken when incidents also found staff not wearing the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) at times, which "placed people at risk of infection".The CQC said it had also issued a warning notice for company bosses to make "significant improvements around how they were managing the service".Alan Stephenson, CQC deputy director of operations in the north, said: "When we inspected Unicorn Healthcare Services, poor leadership had led to people being placed at risk of unsafe care."This service looks after people who rely on staff for their basic care needs and leaders must make the necessary improvements as a matter of urgency."He said the watchdog would "use our regulatory powers further if people aren't receiving the care they have a right to expect".However, Mr Stephenson noted staff treated people with "respect and kindness" during full inspection report will be published in the coming to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
