Inspectors warn care home over staffing and standards

CARE home is under the microscope after a health watchdog raised concerns about staffing levels.

It is the second time that Huddersfield-based Eldercare Ltd, which runs 16 care homes in West Yorkshire, Selby and Rochdale, has come under scrutiny in just over a year.

Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have asked bosses at St Luke’s care home in Calverley, near Leeds, to send them a report by next week outlining how they plan to meet official standards.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Representatives from the CQC visited the home because it had concerns about the number of staff on duty and their capacity to meet people’s needs.

A report said that although staff levels had been increased, the number on duty was “sometimes still below the level necessary to meet people’s needs”.

Inspectors said there were “inappropriate comments by some staff who did not show appropriate respect when speaking to people”.

They also witnessed wheelchairs partially obstructing fire exits and noted that the security door alarms had been disabled, leaving the provider unable to monitor visitors entering the home.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Inspectors said that they saw one person eat a meal with their fingers and did not “receive any support to use their cutlery”.

A report by the CQC about the visit in January added: “We have asked the provider to send us a report by April 10 setting out the action they will take to meet the standards. We will check to make sure this action is taken.

“Where we have identified a breach of a regulation during inspection, which is more serious, we will make sure action is taken.”

Eldercare came under scrutiny last year after inspectors found that Oakhaven Care Home in Oakwood, Leeds, was failing to protect the safety of elderly residents.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Inspectors saw residents verbally abusing each other unchecked, saw that one was allowed to wander in and out of other residents’ rooms, and reported a number of unexplained injuries had been written in care records.

A spokeswoman from Eldercare said: “We continue to work closely with CQC to ensure that we continue to meet the required standards.”