Watchdog highlights safety concerns at care home

Concerns over safety at a Leeds care home have been raised by the health watchdog.

Following an inspection late last year, Sunnyview House in Beeston has been rated as "good" in several key areas, but "inadequate" in terms of safety, with Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors deeming the home overall as "requires improvement".

During the visit, between 24 October and 6 November, several areas of the home were found to be unsafe and medicines were sometimes not managed safely, according to a report published this month by inspectors.

Bupa, which runs the home, said it had been working closely with the CQC since its last visit and was committed to continuing "high standards of care at the home".

According to the CQC's report, staff at the home, where some people were living with dementia, did not always wash their hands before administering medication and trolleys of medicines were left unlocked.

One staff member also signed to say medication had been given, despite not seeing this happen.

However, residents did receive the medication they required without delays or gaps in administration, the CQC report stated.

Inspectors found that residents' unexplained bruises were not always reported or reviewed, and they saw staff sometimes using "unsafe" techniques to move residents.

While residents and relatives were informed when things had gone wrong, they were "not always informed of clear actions or lessons learned as a result of not always having a thorough investigation completed", according to the CQC report.

Most relatives said they felt their family member was safe at Sunnyview House, but inspectors said this "contradicted" what they had seen on site.

"We were not assured people were experiencing risk-free care or had been fully safeguarded from avoidable risk or harm," they said.

The report also said there was "poor oversight at the service, which meant risks were not effectively identified and acted on".

Meanwhile, governance systems and audits were not effective in identifying or addressing areas for improvement.

The CQC rated the service "good" for being caring and responsive, while it said the home's previous "good" rating for being effective remained in place as it was not considered during the most recent assessment.

Following their visit to Sunnyview House, inspectors believed it "requires improvement" for leadership, according to the CQC report.

"We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to our concerns," it added.

Nicola Doughty, managing director for Sunnyview House, said: "We are committed to providing high quality care to our residents, and are pleased the home is rated as 'good' in three out of five CQC inspection areas.

"In their latest visit, inspectors noted our clean, well kept, homely and warm environment, that our residents feel happy and listened to, and that our people provide person-centred care."

Ms Doughty added: "We have strengthened the management team at the home, refreshed our training - including medicines management, moving and handling, and infection prevention.

"We have robust action plans and processes in place to demonstrate our commitment to our high standards."

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