Care home put in special measures by CQC

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has placed a home into special measures after an inspection found it was inadequate in most areas.

Hepworth House is a residential home in Bedford which provides care for up to 20 older people with disabilities and dementia.

Inspectors found the service was in breach of legal regulations in relation to safe care and treatment, safeguarding, good governance and person-centred care.

Hepworth House, which is run by 313 Healthcare, told the BBC it recognised some areas needed improvement but did "not agree with all aspects of the report's conclusions".

In 2019, the CQC's overall rating of the home was 'requires improvement', but this has since been dropped to 'inadequate'.

The latest report concluded that medications were not managed, safeguarding concerns were not passed to the local authority and staff lacked the knowledge and skills to carry out their roles.

There was also criticism of the home's lack of systems to review incidents and accidents.

Most residents spoken to for the report were happy with their care, though inspectors saw some people could be left for periods of time with minimal engagement.

Inspectors found care had been delivered to residents against their wishes, which was "an infringement of their rights" and a lack of respect for "people's privacy and dignity".

The report said: "We identified instances where staff delivered care against a person's wishes.

"This action had not been properly assessed as appropriate, despite the registered manager telling us the person had full capacity to make their own decisions.

"This contravened their right to refuse care and indicated they had been assaulted by staff."

Inspectors also found examples where staff had been subjected to assault from service users, but there was no process to learn from these incidents and protect workers from future occurrences.

Safety at the home had been improved by redecoration, but issues remained, such as a blocked fire escape and wardrobes that were not secured to walls.

There were also instances where people, who had sustained potential head injuries, had not received immediate medical advice or intervention, the report said.

The CQC noted the home began to make immediate changes to drive improvements after it was placed in special measures.

A spokesperson for Hepworth House said: "The safety, well-being, and dignity of our residents remain our highest priority. We take these concerns very seriously and have already implemented significant changes to address the issues raised.

"We are working closely with local authorities, healthcare professionals, and regulatory bodies to ensure that necessary improvements are made swiftly and effectively.

"Despite the report's findings, we want to acknowledge the dedication of our staff, who continue to provide compassionate care to our residents.

"We remain committed to delivering the highest standards of care and ensuring that every resident is treated with respect and receives the support they need."

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