Acacia Bank Care Home

Inspectors were assured that staff followed safe infection prevention practices. The home was clean and had enough protective equipment.

“The home was kept clean and hygienic and the provider had sufficient stocks of PPE.” from the report

People were supported to access health and care professionals, including GPs, district nurses and mental health teams.

“People's care records confirmed the involvement of other professionals in providing care such as the mental health team, community matrons, GPs and the speech and language therapy (SALT) team.” from the report

Staff gave positive feedback about the new manager and said the atmosphere and support had improved.

“It's now changed to a happy team, we work as a team. The atmosphere is better.” from the report

The manager had clear records of the complaint received and the actions and outcome.

“The manager had confirmed only 1 complaint had been received since they commenced as manager, and they kept clear and robust records of all actions taken and the outcome.” from the report

Information for variable medicine doses was sometimes missing. Cream records were incomplete, fire risks were not assessed, and the medicines fridge was outside safe temperature limits for 10 days without recorded action.

“Medicines were not being managed safely.” from the report

Repositioning records had gaps, some pressure-relieving equipment was missing or incorrectly set, and several building and equipment safety checks could not be evidenced.

“The lack of robust risk management processes meant people were not protected from harm or injury.” from the report

Recruitment checks were incomplete in all three files reviewed. Staff deployment left people waiting for help, and important training had not been completed by many staff.

“People were left for long periods of time with no engagement from staff, and there was a lack of staff presence around the communal areas.” from the report

Staff did not always know people's nutritional needs, and food and fluid intake records were inaccurate. Inspectors also found limited snacks and a lack of suitable choice for some meals.

“Plates from people who had not eaten any food were cleared away, however records were completed to show these people had eaten.” from the report

The home was not consistently following the Mental Capacity Act. Seven of 14 people subject to restrictions lacked the required assessments or best-interest decisions.

“We found the service was not working in line with the principles of the MCA.” from the report

Care plans did not consistently record people's preferences or current needs. People could spend long periods without meaningful interaction, and the garden was not freely accessible.

“We saw people sitting for long periods of time in their bedrooms and communal areas without any meaningful interaction.” from the report