Care home with dirty equipment told to improve

Highcroft Hall Residential Care Home in Wolverhampton has been brought out of special measures after previously being rated inadequate twice, but inspectors from the Care Quality Commission said it still needed to improve after a recent visit.

Earlier this year it was revealed people suffered serious injuries at the home in Old Fallings Lane, predominantly falls, when inspectors visited in January. It was the second time the home was rated inadequate in less than six months.

Four health and safety breaches were also noted by the team of inspectors.

CQC inspectors visited again in August and rated the home as "requires improvement" overall, but found it to be "good" in two of the five areas.

Highcroft Hall accommodates up to 52 people in one adapted building comprising of three units, two of which specialise in caring for people living with dementia. 33 people lived at the home at the time of the most recent inspection visit.

The report says: "We returned on this occasion to check whether people were safe and that the provider was taking the necessary action to improve the quality of care and reducing the risks to people.

"During this inspection the service demonstrated to us that improvements have been made and is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is now out of special measures."

But they also noted that there were still risks that had not been "consistently mitigated".

Inspectors said not all residents had access to a call bell in their rooms, but by the second day of visiting the manager reassured inspectors that alarms were available in all rooms. And action had been taken to mitigate risks to people falling.

The report says: "We saw up to date servicing certificates were in place to show the premises and equipment were safe and in good working order. For example, checks of gas safety, electricity, mobility equipment and water safety."

And steps had also been taken to improve staffing levels.

The report adds: "Overall, we found the home was clean although a small number of areas needed some attention. For example, we found some moving and handling equipment were dirty and had encrusted food on the surface."

Highcroft Hall Residential Care Home was rated "good" in how caring and responsive it was, but inspectors said it required improvement in its safety, effectiveness, and how well-led it was.

Sheila O’Connor, director of operations, said: "Significant improvements have been made since the previous CQC visit and this has clearly been recognised during the recent inspection. It is particularly pleasing that the home is now rated as good in two areas and that the report states residents are treated with compassion, dignity and respect, and that they receive personalised care that is responsive to their needs.

"We are committed to providing all our residents with the highest possible standard of care and we will work tirelessly to ensure the improvements continue throughout the home."