Care home rated inadequate

Phoenix Residential Care Home in Chatham, Kent, has been rated inadequate and remains in special measures, following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The home provides care and accommodation for up to 18 adults living with dementia and other health conditions.

At the time of the most recent inspection in November, the care home was providing care to 13 people aged over 65.

CQC’s head of inspection for Adult Social Care, Neil Cox, said: ‘Although some improvements had been made since the previous inspection in August, there are still a number of serious shortfalls in the service provided.

‘Following this latest inspection, the service remains in special measures, which means it will be kept under review and, if the provider’s registration is not cancelled, it will be re-inspected to check that significant improvements have been made.

‘If the provider is unable to demonstrate improvements have been made, we will not hesitate to use our enforcement powers.

‘During the latest inspection, CQC found that the management of the service was not robust enough to identify potential issues and to put actions and processes in place to improve quality and safety.’

CQC said specifically, prescribed medicines were not always managed in a safe way and care plans and risk assessments were not always reviewed and amended following an accident or incident.

Fire safety remained a concern with insufficient staff on duty at night to ensure the building could be safely evacuated in the event of a fire.

In addition, people were not given maximum choice and control of their lives and were not supported in the least restrictive way possible.

The service was not kept clean and free from odours and residents were not given the support needed to create a homely and personal bedroom environment.

Furthermore, people were not provided with opportunities to follow their interests or offered meaningful occupation to prevent social isolation and maintain their well-being.

Full details of the inspection are available on the CQC website.

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