New bosses of Castleford care home The Beeches promise to turn round 'inadequate' Care Quality Commission rating

The Beeches, which was caring for 17 elderly residents when it was inspected earlier this year, has been rated as inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The CQC said there were "inaccuracies" in the way the home recorded medicines and that a fire risk assessment was not complete at the time of their first visit in February.

However, the regulator did acknowledge that the provider took immediate action to remedy some issues during the inspection and noted very positive feedback from relatives about the home's staff.

The Waash Group, which took over the running of the home just before Christmas, said it was confident it would soon be able to achieve a positive rating for the home.

In their report, the CQC said: "Medicines were not managed safely.

"There were inaccuracies and omissions with the administration and recording of medicines.

"The security of medicines was not managed safely. We found missing medicines and the medicines trolley was not secured to the wall when not in use."

Inspectors also claimed the home was "not decorated in a dementia friendly way", adding that, "For example, people's bedroom doors had not been personalised to help them identify their own rooms.

"Best practice suggests people find it easier to identify their own room if there are recognisable items to direct them there."

However, the venue was praised for trying to promote independence among its residents and families were quick to praise the service.

One relative told inspectors: "Staff are absolutely marvellous. Many of them have 12 to 15 years' service."

Another described employees as "lovely and respectful" towards their family member.

Responding to the CQC's report, a spokesman for the Waash Group, said: "We took over the home in December 2020 and then we had the inspection in February. A lot of the issues the CQC have found are legacy issues.

“We’ve got a new manager in place who’s got 30 years experience in residential and nursing homes. She joined us on February 24 and she’s committed to helping to turn around the service.

"We recognise there’s a long way to go, but with the support of the Care Quality Commission and the local authority safeguarding team we’re confident we can achieve a positive outcome for the service."

Local Democracy Reporting Service