A Spalding care home has been given two warnings after inspectors found significant concerns about the safety, effectiveness and governance of its service.
The Care Quality Commission inspection at Brun Lea, on Surfleet Road, took place between June and August. The home was found to be in breach of legal regulations covering safe care and treatment and good governance.
Brun Lea was rated ‘requires improvement’. Four of the five key areas assessed—safety, effectiveness, responsiveness and leadership—were also rated as requiring improvement. Caring was the only area to receive a ‘good’ rating.
Concerns over care planning and medicines
The inspection identified widespread problems with care planning, risk assessment, medicines management, Mental Capacity Act 2005 documentation and record keeping.
Inspectors found that care plans were often incomplete, out of date or contained conflicting information. The report said this meant staff did not always have enough guidance to provide safe, consistent and person-centred care.
Significant improvement was also said to be needed in the way medicines were managed, including their storage and auditing.
The inspection found that staff demonstrated caring and respectful interactions with residents and had a good understanding of people’s preferences and routines. However, inspectors said there was limited evidence that care was consistently planned and reviewed.
Residents whose needs were changing were not always reviewed promptly, according to the findings. The report also said that, although staff knew people well, their care was not always supported by effective systems, accurate records and consistent planning.
Home had started improvement work
Brun Lea’s leaders had recognised several concerns and had begun putting improvement plans in place. Those steps included seeking external support, reviewing governance arrangements and introducing revised auditing processes.
The report said the issues identified across several areas should have been recognised and addressed.
Inspectors also recorded positive findings. People told them they could make decisions about their daily routines, food choices and how they wanted to spend their time. There was evidence that a range of healthcare professionals were involved in supporting residents’ health and wellbeing.
Residents expressed general satisfaction with their care, but the assessment concluded that important elements of the service did not meet expected standards. The two warnings and ‘requires improvement’ rating highlight the areas Brun Lea must address as it works through its improvement plans.