Care home inspectors find a lack of staff and poor manual handling skills

Not enough staff and poor manual handling skills have been identified in some care homes by Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors in the last week.

Some 18 care homes and home care agencies in England have been rated as ‘Requires Improvement’, three were rated Inadequate, while the vast majority of 59 were rated ‘Good’ by the care regulator, out of 80 reports it published in the last week.

Myford House Nursing and Residential Home in Telford, which received an ‘Inadequate’ rating, was one of the care homes where low staffing levels was identified as an issue.

During a visit on 1-2 February, one person at Myford House told inspectors “They could do with more people, as it leads to a delay in some people’s care”.

“When my family come they have difficulty finding them (staff)”.

Registered for 57 residents, inspectors said of the home ‘There were not enough staff to meet people’s needs and keep them safe’.

There was no registered manager in post at the time of the inspectors’ visit. In response to the report, the owners of the home told carehome.co,uk it had appointed a new manager who has created a new management team and recruited nurses.

Lyn Mataranyika moved into the care industry after caring for her father who suffered from dementia. She said: “The home has always been compliant with regulations so it has been a difficult period.

“But we are focussed on the future and restoring our good name as a home, which provides a world-class level of care. We are well on the way to taking things back to that high level.”

Myford House will be subject to another CQC inspection by the summer.

As well as Myford House, Nazareth House in Northampton and Parkfields Nursing Home in Wolverhampton received an ‘Inadequate’ rating.

Squeaks House Residential Care Home in Southminster, Essex, received a ‘Requires Improvement’ rating after an inspection on 12 January, and was one of the homes that prompted concerns by inspectors about manual handling.

In its report, inspectors stated “Staff struggled to move a person when using a hoist sling. We did not feel that they had the necessary skills to assist people to move safely and with confidence.

"On two occasions, staff used an old style hydraulic pump hoist with a person who did not appear comfortably placed in the lifting sling. This meant they were lifted for a longer period than necessary and the lifting motion is less smooth, increasing the potential for discomfort and anxiety.

“We were told that an electronic hoist was available on the first floor but the staff had not brought it down.”

“All staff were trained in manual handling techniques and equipment. “We spoke further with the provider after our visit, to establish the nature and quality of the manual handling training being provided to staff.” In contrast to these discoveries, the majority of care homes and home care agencies (59) received a 'Good' rating including Bluebirds Nursing Home in Milton Keynes.

Visited on 29 January, the home which offers care for up to 22 people with a variety of neurological conditions, including dementia, was praised for having staff that “had the skills and knowledge they needed, and received regular training and update sessions.” Staff at the home also receive regular supervision and appraisals and inspectors said “The service had an open and positive culture, which focused on providing high quality care for people.”

All of England’s adult social care services are given a CQC rating according to whether they are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led. Last year, the regulator’s State of Care report found a third of Britain’s 18,000 homes were rated 'Requires Improvement' and seven per cent were rated 'Inadequate'.

Since 1 April, care providers have been required to display their ratings on their premises and their websites for the public to see.

Reports on all 80 inspections are available at www.cqc.org.uk