A care home, judged to be unsafe and inadequately managed, has been placed into special measures.
Southfield Court care home was rated ‘inadequate’ overall in its latest report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The Almondbury home, which had 46 residents during the inspection in March, was rated ‘inadequate’ for safety and management.
Southfield Court, which is run by care home giant Four Seasons, was rated ‘good’ for its caring approach towards residents.
But the home was rated ‘requires improvement’ for responsiveness and effectiveness.
CQC inspectors expressed concerns about the rapid turnover of staff and the lack of a permanent manager at the home.
One resident told the inspectors: “Every day there is a new face. Last week there was an agency nurse on duty and other staff I didn’t know.”
The relative of a resident added: “There has been about three or four managers. I don’t know who the manager is. I come here most days. It is terrible.”
The watchdog also raised issues about the safety and suitability of the premises, the lack of staff on duty and the management of medicines and infection control.
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The report said: “We found people were still not protected against the risks of unsafe or unsuitable premises because the necessary safety checks were not being regularly completed and we found the service was still not meeting this requirement.
“Relatives we spoke with told us they were unhappy with the number of different agency staff at the service, leading to a lack of consistent care for their relative.
“We found there were not always enough experienced staff available to respond to people who required assistance in a timely manner.”
The CQC flagged up hygiene issues including a ‘mal odour’ in a corridor and lounge.
And inspectors found ‘soiling’ on showering equipment.
A spokesperson for Four Seasons said: “The wellbeing of people entrusted to our care is our first priority and we are very sorry that some aspects of the care at Southfield Court have not been meeting the standards that we expect all of our homes to provide.
“Since the inspection in March we have been implementing a programme of improvements and have made good progress.”
The spokesperson added: “The CQC inspectors rated the home as ‘good’ for being caring and this was supported by feedback from people living in the home and their relatives.”
Homes placed in special measures must improve or risk closure.
