'Maggot infested' Castleford care home in special measures after CQC inspection

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A residential care home in Castleford, which provides care to people with learning disabilities, has been put on special measures after a number of failings were found during an inspection by the CQC (Care Quality Commision).

The CQC rated Westmead inadequate following its inspection from April to July last year and placed it into special measures to ‘protect people.’

Westmead is a residential care home, run by The Bridge Community Care Limited, providing accommodation and personal care to people with learning disabilities.

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At the time of the inspection the service was at full capacity with nine people living at the home.

CQC has rated Westmead, a care home, in Castleford, inadequate and placed it into special measures to protect people following an inspection carried out from April to July last year.CQC has rated Westmead, a care home, in Castleford, inadequate and placed it into special measures to protect people following an inspection carried out from April to July last year.
CQC has rated Westmead, a care home, in Castleford, inadequate and placed it into special measures to protect people following an inspection carried out from April to July last year.

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns CQC received relating to staffing levels, managing people’s needs, medication management, the living environment and the effectiveness of leaders.

The special measures rating now means it will be kept under close review by CQC to keep people already living there safe whilst improvements are made.

CQC has also proposed using its regulatory powers further.

Shiela Grant, CQC deputy director of operations in the north, said: “Our experience tells us that when a service isn’t well-led, it’s less likely they’re able to meet people’s needs in the other areas we inspect, which is what we found at Westmead.

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“Staff weren’t always safeguarding people from abuse as they told us they didn’t feel confident about raising concerns.

"Leaders hadn’t put robust systems in place to ensure purchases made with or on behalf of people were legitimate.

“Leaders had not created an environment which was safe for the people who called Westmead home. We found holes in walls and loose electrical sockets.

"We observed damage to the flooring and staff told us there had been a maggot infestation between the floorboards. Also, a carpet had been glued to the floor without any underlay, resulting in a very hard surface. All of this put people at risk of harm.

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"Staff were scheduled to work with people they didn’t know well, which meant an increase in incidents as staff didn’t know people well enough to de-escalate situations.

"Some staff described incidents which could have been prevented if the staff team were more skilled, knowledgeable and confident about people’s needs.

“We expect to see rapid and widespread improvements and will continue to monitor people living at Westmead closely to keep them safe while this happens.”

A spokesperson for The Bridge Community Care Limited said: “Naturally, we were deeply disappointed with the outcome of the inspection and this fell short of the highest standards we set ourselves.”

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They said that two manager changes in quick succession had “undoubtedly impacted on the running of the home” and that one registered manager had only started the day before the initial inspection visit.

They said: “We now have a stable and embedded management team in place and the improvements are clear to see. The service is now in a very different place than during CQC’s inspection last year.

“Since the inspection last year, we have had time to take active steps to address the regulator’s concerns and remain entirely focused on ensuring the improvements are sustained. Our primary consideration is the safety and well-being of those we care for.”

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