A Birkenhead care home which provided accommodation for up to 15 residents, most with dementia, has closed down after a Care Quality Commission (CQC) report found staff were not wearing COVID-19 related personal protective equipment, amongst a raft of other shortcomings.
Devonshire Manor care home, in North Road, was given the lowest possible rating of ‘inadequate” in a CQC report. The report showed that although the manager and staff had access to PPE, they were not following Public Health England guidelines in the use of PPE. This is the second report this year that the Devonshire Manor has been marked as ‘inadequate.’
The report said, “A focused inspection was undertaken to specifically check whether sufficient improvements in the safety of the service and people’s care had been achieved and to assess whether the manager and provider now had sufficient oversight of the service. At this inspection we continued to have serious concerns about the safety of the service and its leadership.
The report noted that:
● Risks relating to people’s care were still not adequately assessed and staff lacked clear guidance on how to manage them.
● Care records did not show people always received the right support with regards to health conditions, skin integrity, nutrition or moving and handling.
● Fire safety arrangements remained poor. The provider had commissioned an external company to complete a fire risk assessment in February 2020. A number of fire safety deficiencies were identified but the provider had not acted upon them. This meant people were not adequately protected from harm in the event of a fire.
Regarding the control of spreading of infection, the report said:
● There was access to personal protective equipment such as gloves, aprons and antibacterial gel for staff to use to prevent the spread of infection.
● Staff including the manager and provider however were not adhering to Public Health England guidance in respect of this equipment to mitigate the risk of Coronavirus.
● Personal protective equipment including the use of masks were not in use by staff working in communal areas to prevent and mitigate the risk of this infection.
● When spoken with, the manager did not have a clear understanding of Coronavirus and the infection control standards required to prevent its transmission within the home.
This was a breach of Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations
Councillor Yvonne Nolan, chair of Wirral Council’s adult social care and public health committee, said: “We can confirm that Devonshire Manor care home has now closed.
“The council worked in partnership with staff, residents and their families to rehome all residents nearby, at appropriate care homes of their choice.
Councillor Nolan added: “Prior to the move, all residents had their needs reviewed by a social worker to make sure their new home would be suitable for them and could ensure a smooth transition.
“We will review them regularly over the next few months to check they are settling in well.”