The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has downgraded the rating for Orchard House Care Centre on the Isle of Wight from good to inadequate following an inspection in February.
Seven regulations breached
Orchard House Care Centre is a residential care home run by Barchester Healthcare Homes Limited. CQC carried out the inspection after receiving concerns about people’s care and support, risk management, escalation of health deterioration, and leadership and staff culture.
Inspectors found the home was in breach of seven regulations, covering person-centred care, dignity and respect, consent, and staffing. CQC has also asked Orchard House Care Centre for an action plan setting out how it will address concerns in these four areas.
For three of those breaches, CQC has served three warning notices to the service to focus the attention of leaders on providing safe care and treatment, safeguarding and good management to the service.
CQC has rated Orchard House Care Centre inadequate for being safe and effective. Caring, responsive and well-led have all been rated requires improvement.
Inspectors’ findings
Neil Cox, CQC’s deputy director of operations in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, said:
“When we inspected Orchard House Care Centre, we found leaders didn’t have a firm enough grip on what was happening in the home, and that had a direct impact on the people living there.
“Inspectors saw residents left exposed and undignified with their clothing displaced in communal areas, people calling out in distress who were ignored or met with dismissive responses. One person had written ‘HELP’ on their bedroom wall and told inspectors they were frightened; no one should ever feel afraid in their own home.
“Residents weren’t always getting enough food and fluids. One person told our inspectors they were hungry and thirsty, and records showed they’d received less than half the recommended fluid intake they required by late evening. Another person lost nearly three kilograms over four months as staff weren’t monitoring their nutritional intake or fortifying their meals with the calories they needed to stay healthy.
“Safety systems that should have protected people weren’t working. Safeguarding concerns weren’t always reported to the local authority, and we raised those issues directly with them after the inspection. Medicines were left unsecured, and emergency documents didn’t always accurately reflect people’s allergies, which could have led to serious harm.
“We did see some positive things. Some staff clearly knew the people they cared for well, and relatives described kind and supportive care at times. But those good moments weren’t consistent enough, and that inconsistency comes down to leadership.
“We’ve told Orchard House Care Centre what it must improve, and we’ll continue to monitor it closely to make sure people are kept safe.”
Inspectors found
- Leaders didn’t consistently identify or act on safeguarding concerns three staff members told inspectors they had reported alleged abuse, but managers had not recorded these on the safeguarding tracker or notified the local authority, leaving people at risk.
- Staff left medicines unsecured, with the medicines room unlocked and a medicine trolley unattended in a corridor with the key in the lock, increasing the risk of misuse or harm.
- Staff did not ensure people’s physical health was monitored and escalated when they were showing signs they were unwell.
- Staff did not respond respectfully to people in distress and sometimes dismissed their concerns, even mimicking a resident’s vocabulary while they were upset.
- Staff did not consistently treat people with dignity, leaving some exposed in communal areas.
However, inspectors also found:
Some relatives described Orchard House Care Centre as supportive and kind, particularly during difficult transitions into the home.
Staff adapted their communication using pictorial aids and body language to support residents with cognitive or language barriers, and information was available in a range of accessible formats
The report will be published on CQC’s website in the coming days.
News shared by John on behalf of CQC. Ed
Provider responds
Prior to publishing, OnTheWight got in touch with Barchester Healthcare for a response to the findings.
A spokesperson told OnTheWight,
“Since the inspection, the home has come under new leadership, with strengthened management oversight, increased senior support and clinical expertise in place. The safety, wellbeing and dignity of our residents is always our highest priority, and we take the findings of the Care Quality Commission extremely seriously. We are deeply concerned by the experiences described, and it is clear that elements of the care identified in the report were not of the standard we expect.
“Following the inspection in February, we acted immediately to address the concerns raised. A comprehensive action plan has been submitted to the CQC and is now being implemented, focusing on improving care quality, safeguarding, staffing and governance. This includes increased management presence, additional training, enhanced clinical monitoring, and improvements to care planning, safeguarding processes and quality assurance systems, to drive rapid and sustained improvement.
“While inspectors also heard positive feedback from some residents and relatives – including comments about supportive staff and a welcoming environment – we recognise that this was not consistent, and consistency of care is essential. We remain focused on embedding the required improvements at pace and will continue to work closely with the CQC, local partners, staff, residents and families to ensure sustained progress and to deliver the safe, person‑centred care residents and families have the right to expect.”
