Dudley care home 'requires improvement' - Report says staff lack direction and leadership

Greenleigh care home, on Wolverhampton Road, Sedgley, looks after older people who may have dementia and is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 35 people.

The unannounced Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection took place on December 3 and 4 last year. The report found that the service to the 32 people living in the home was not consistently safe and they were at risk of not always receiving their medication as prescribed, or 'in line with manufacturers guidelines.'

It stated that staff lacked direction and leadership, which led to people being kept waiting to be supported.

The home also required improvement in being an effective service, which was labelled as 'inconsistent'.

The report said: "People told us that the staff were always busy and had mixed views about whether there were enough of them. One person told us, "They're understaffed. The staff are brilliant – they're on the go all the while". A relative commented, "There's never enough staff, they've always got something else to do."

The service of the care home was also told to improve, after officers observed delays in people receiving their meals. On inspection, one member of staff was responsible for giving people their medication and also serving their breakfast, which meant people were kept waiting for long period to have their medication with their breakfast. At lunchtime it was noted that staff time was not allocated 'efficiently', with a number of people on one table finishing their meals whilst others had been waiting for 30 minutes to be served.

The manager had acknowledged to officers that staff time could be better managed and would be looking at the allocation of staff with immediate effect.

However, the care home was deemed good in being a caring and responsive service, with the report stating people spoke positively about the staff who care for them. It added: "People told us they felt listened to and had participated in meetings. We saw that surveys had been completed, all of which were positive.

"Families spoken with told us that they were always welcomed into the home and that they could visit at any time."

The care home also required improvement in being a well-led service, with the report stating the former manager of Greenleigh did not fully understand their responsibility with 'regards to notifying us of events that they were required to by law.'

The care home did not wish to comment.