BARNSLEY Council has ended its contract with a local care home to ‘safeguard its residents’ who have now been moved to new homes - after inspectors found serious shortfalls with the service and plunged it into special measures.
Eboracum House, based on Park Grove, has been placed into special measures by the Care Quality Commission following its latest inspection.
Bosses had been told that it ‘requires improvement’ at its two previous CQC inspections.
At the time of the inspection in May, a total of 16 people were living at the home.
The inspection was prompted in part by notification of an incident following which a person using the service sustained a serious injury.
That incident is still subject to further investigation by the care watchdog as to whether any regulatory action should be taken.
The home was rated as ‘inadequate’ - the lowest of the grades given to care homes - and placed into special measures.
A report states: “The service was in breach of legal regulation in relation to people’s safe care and treatment, the management of risk and the ways people’s medicines were managed at the service.
“We identified some environmental shortfalls during the inspection including staff not having access to appropriate equipment, doors not being locked to areas that were unsafe and many areas in the service were worn and in a general state of disrepair.
“Several areas of the home appeared tired and required refurbishment and redecoration; chipped paint work, walls and door frames with holes needed refilling and repainting, and ceiling tiles needed repair.
“Staff reported that equipment, such as shower chairs and bath hoists, were either broken or not fit for purpose.
“For example, the shower chair was broken and staff said they had to use a jug to assist people with showering because they could not safely regulate the electric shower’s water temperature.
“Although no harm to individuals was identified, the inability to control water temperature increased the risk of scalding or burns.”
Barnsley Council have confirmed that the residents have been moved from the home and that they have terminated their contract with the home.
Coun Jo Newing, cabinet spokesperson for place health and adult social care, said: “In Barnsley we are committed to ensuring that every resident receives safe, high-quality care.
“Following the CQC decision, we made the difficult decision to end our contract with the home to safeguard the wellbeing of the residents.
“Our teams supported each resident and their families with care and compassion, helping them to transition safely to alternative accommodation that meets their needs.
“We understand how unsettling changes like this can be and are grateful for the cooperation of all those involved during this period.
“We are now aware that Eboracum House is being taken over by a new care provider who is working to bring the home back into use in the future.
“We welcome their plans and will continue to monitor the local care market to ensure that all services in Barnsley uphold the standards of dignity, respect, and excellence our residents deserve.”
