Bulwell care home's pledge after SEVENTH 'Requires Improvement' rating on trot

Highfields Nursing Home, on Highbury Road, which cares for up to 42 elderly people, including some with dementia, was reviewed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The inspection was unannounced and prompted, in part, by concerns the CQC had received about shortfalls in the service.

The home was given a ‘Requires Improvement’ rating overall and in three categories that probed whether it was safe, effective and well-led.

Categories covering how caring and responsive Highfields is were rated ‘Good’. But the CQC found the home to be in breach of regulations and issued a warning notice to the provider, Highfields Ltd, concerning “the quality of care and staff performance” after concluding that residents were “at risk of harm and abuse”.

Inspectors also found breaches in relation to the administration of medicines and the prevention of infections, with “the home visibly dirty in parts”. Highfields had also failed “to ensure staff were suitably trained and competent”.

However, the CQC accepted that the provider “has taken prompt action to mitigate the risks identified and has provided evidence of improved processes and risk management which they are implementing” and will be reviewed at the next inspection.

This was backed up by Highfields Ltd, which is part of the MPS Care Group, based in Doncaster. The company’s group operations manager, Hannah Marchant, told the Dispatch: “After the inspection, an improvement plan was created to address areas noted in the CQC report.

"This included the purchasing of new equipment, and improvements to the environment. This plan has now been fully achieved, and the service has ongoing improvement to ensure clear and transparent oversight.

"We have been working in collaboration with the CQC and local authorities.”

At a previous inspection in December 2021, the home was found to be putting residents “at risk of neglect”.

The home blamed staff shortages, saying those who remained were “exhausted, stressed and overworked” after the Covid pandemic. Manager Teresa Rigby said she was ”fully committed to improving the home”.

This latest inspection found that staff ”showed kindness and compassion” to residents, and the home “received positive feedback from relatives and visiting professionals”. One relative described staff as “angels”.