Under-fire care home no longer in special measures

A care home where inspectors were told residents had to endure the smell of urine-soaked bedding and bang on tables for attention has been moved out of special measures.

However, health watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC) says Stoneyford Care Home in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, still requires improvement in most areas, including safety and leadership.

The facility was heavily criticised by inspectors following a visit in July 2024, prompted by concerns from a whistleblower.

They revisited in February and upgraded the home's overall rating from "inadequate" to "requires improvement".

In the July 2024 inspection, the CQC said the home was not well managed, resulting in "people being placed at risk of harm and not receiving proper care".

A lack of oversight in communal areas led to residents having to shout or bang on tables for attention, its report said, and there were "strong odours from things like urine-soaked bedding in a bedroom".

In a new report following the February inspection, the watchdog said the home was no longer in breach of regulations for consent, safe care and treatment.

However, it was continuing to breach regulations for governance and record-keeping, with concerns raised about the home's paper records and electronic care system.

Inspectors cited improvements in keeping people safe, manual handling techniques, infection control and staff knowledge of safeguarding.

Stoneyford received a rating of "good" in the "caring" category, but was rated as "requires improvement" in all other areas.

The CQC report said: "People told us there had been significant improvements in the home since our last inspection and they now felt safe from the risk of harm.

"While people still told us they had some concerns surrounding staff availability, especially within communal areas, people told us staff were more responsive to their needs, such as personal care."

The watchdog will now work with the service provider to bring about further improvements ahead of its next inspection.

Follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.