A care home in Northallerton has been placed in special measures after inspectors found serious failings in safety, medicines management and leadership.
Beechwood Care Home on Romanby Road has been rated “Inadequate” overall following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The home, which is run by Premier Nursing Homes Limited, provides residential nursing care for older people and those living with dementia.
Inspectors carried out the assessment between Monday, December 22 and Thursday, February 5 after concerns were raised about the service. A warning notice was later issued to the provider on Thursday, February 12 for failing to meet regulations relating to the safe management of medicines and safe care and treatment.
The CQC said the quality and safety of care at the home had deteriorated since its previous inspection.
Inspectors found residents were not consistently protected from avoidable harm, with widespread failures in incident reporting and oversight. These issues contributed to repeated incidents of physical and psychological harm between residents, indicating poor risk management.
Concerns were also raised about medicines management. Some medications were not stored appropriately, guidance on administering certain medicines was incomplete, and inspectors found out-of-date liquid medicines.
In one case, a resident did not receive a critical medication for a significant period of time, while laxatives were not always administered as prescribed.
The report also highlighted weaknesses in leadership and oversight. Inspectors said governance systems were not robust enough to identify or address risks, and internal audits had failed to identify serious problems such as unsafe medicines practices and environmental hazards.
Staff morale was also described as poor at the start of the assessment. Some staff reported feeling unsupported and fearful of raising concerns, while several residents and relatives said they were unsure how to raise issues with management.
However, inspectors noted early signs of improvement following the appointment of a new manager towards the end of the assessment, alongside additional support from the provider.
Residents and relatives gave mixed feedback about life at the home. Some praised staff for their kindness and said they felt safe, while others raised concerns about delays in answering call bells, hydration support and missing personal items.
One resident told inspectors: “They don’t come very fast when you buzz them.” Another relative said they had found their family member “clearly thirsty” during visits.
Under special measures, the care home will be closely monitored by the CQC and must make significant improvements within a set timeframe or face further enforcement action.
A spokesperson for Beechwood Care Home said a new home manager had been put in place and “additional support provided to ensure early improvements were made”.
They said staff continued to work hard to ensure the high standards of care expected by their residents and their loved ones.
“As always, our highest priority is providing a safe, comfortable, and caring home for those who reside with us,” the spokesperson added.
Be the first to comment