The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated The Willows in Ipswich, Suffolk inadequate again, and taken further action to protect people following an inspection that finished in January.
The Willows, run by Hazeldell Ltd, is a residential care home for older people and people living with dementia. There were 40 people using the service during the inspection.
This inspection was carried out to follow up on improvements CQC told leaders to make at their previous inspection.
As well as the home’s overall rating being re-rated as inadequate, so have the home’s ratings for being safe and well-led. The rating for effective has dropped from requires improvement to inadequate. The ratings for caring and responsive were re-rated as requires improvement.
CQC was in the process of taking further regulatory action at The Willows as a result of the concerns found on this inspection, which Hazeldell Ltd has the right to appeal.
However, since this inspection, Hazeldell Ltd has handed back the contract of The Willows to the local authority, and they voluntarily closed the home on 31 March. CQC was in close contact with the local authority to ensure people were safe while they supported all residents to move to new accommodation.
As the service remains registered, CQC will continue with its proposed regulatory action to ensure people remain safe in future.
Inspectors found:
- Leaders didn’t support staff to protect people from avoidable harm. For example, they didn’t consistently prevent people from the risk of getting pressure sores. Staff also didn’t update care plans, meaning staff might not have the most up to date information to keep people safe if their care needs had changed.
- Staff didn’t make sure people were safe in their rooms. Some people locked their bedroom doors at night to prevent other people from entering. However other residents were still able to enter some people’s bedrooms uninvited which is a safeguarding concern putting people at the potential risk of harm or abuse.
- The home didn't provide enough activities to keep people meaningfully engaged, leaving many feeling bored. Staff didn’t inform people in advance about when activities were taking place.
- Staff didn’t always involve people in decisions about their care, and consultation with families was inconsistent and often only occurred at the start of the care.
- Some people told inspectors they weren't always happy with the food offered, one person said there was only one good meal a week. Relatives told inspectors they saw that efforts were being made to improve meal quality.
However:
- People and their families said staff were mostly kind, and the service had improved their staffing levels, particularly through the use of permanent staff.
- Relatives appreciated being able to visit freely, and some acknowledged recent efforts by staff to improve overall care quality.
The report will be published on CQC’s website in the next few days.