Here's what health and social care watchdog inspectors said after visiting this care home
The health and social care watchdog has criticised the storage and management of medicines at a city care home and said improvements are still needed following its latest inspection.
Following its latest inspection the Care Quality Commission deemed that care, safety, and leadership at Ryhope Manor Care Home still requires improvement.
The care home provides personal and nursing care for up to 31 people, most of whom were living with a dementia.
The requires improvement rating is a step forward for the care home which was deemed to be inadequate and was placed in special measures following its last inspection in December 2024.
Whilst some improvements have taken place, the inspection team said more robust action is still needed.
Inspectors stated: “This assessment was undertaken to check the provider had followed their action plan from our last assessment and to confirm they now met legal requirements.
“At this assessment we looked at 25 quality statements to check for improvement.
“We found some improvements had been made which meant the service was no longer in breach of six regulations. However, although there were improvements, management had not fully learnt from previous experiences or taken robust action to address all known issues.
“This meant the service continued to breach regulation relating to safe care and treatment and good governance.”
One of the key issues of safety is in the management of medicines which the report stated “continue to not be managed safely”
Inspectors added: “The service did not make sure medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs. Systems and processes were not effective to mitigate risks or to allow for effective oversight of the quality and safety of the premises and all equipment.
“There were concerns relating to the health and safety of the premises, maintenance of equipment and infection prevention and control practices.
“Care plans and risk assessments had improved but required further development to ensure they were always person-centred, contained all key information and fully reflected people’s individual needs.”
Despite ongoing concerns, inspectors did identify a number of improvements which had taken place.
Inspectors said: “The provider made sure there were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff, who received effective support, supervision and development. Staff felt supported in their roles and able to speak up, if required, with confidence they would be listened to and valued.
“People and relatives gave positive comments about the dedication of staff and the registered manager.
“People told us they felt safe living in the home and felt the support they received from staff was respectful and caring. Staff responded promptly to immediate needs, such as answering call bells, and relatives appreciated the opportunity to visit freely.
“However, ongoing issues affected peoples’ experience of living at Ryhope Manor Care Home.
“Health and safety practices were not consistently robust, and care planning was not always person-centred.
“Activities and social stimulation remained limited, despite some improvements in staffing for activities.”
Whilst further improvements are required, inspectors were satisfied they had seen sufficient progress to move the care home out of special measures.
They stated: “This service has been in Special Measures since 19 December 2024. The provider demonstrated improvements that have been made.
“The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures.”