Ossett care home Croft House rated inadequate by Care Quality Commission after PPE criticism

Croft House Care Home in Ossett has been placed in special measures by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The home was "not well-led" according to a report by inspectors who visited the home on December 18 last year.

Responding to the CQC's findings, the company responsible for the home said improvements had been made since the inspection.

The report, which was published last week, said that a number of measures to keep staff and its 60 residents safe had not been taken.

Inspectors said: "Staff could not safely put on and take off PPE as this was stored in people's rooms.

"Staff needed to cross the room to collect the PPE. This exposed people to risk of infection transmission. There was also no hand sanitiser along the corridors of the service or bins for staff to dispose of PPE.

"Staff, including senior members of staff, were not effectively wearing PPE. "Staff did not sanitise their hands effectively, change their mask or change aprons in line with guidance."

The report also said that the elderly residents were at "risk of missing medication or being given incorrect medication" because of the way systems were managed at Croft House.

Criticising the home's management, inspectors added: "The culture was not open or inclusive and did not achieve good outcomes for people

"The manager did not have a visible presence in the service and people using the service were not engaged in the development and improvement of the service."

The report did say, however, that relatives spoke highly of staff at the home, with one family member describing an employee they knew as "accommodating and helpful".

The home is run by Countrywide Care Homes, which is part of a nationwide provider called the Maria Mallaband Care Group.

Responding to the report, the group said: "Senior managers are supporting staff at Croft House Care Home to ensure that the necessary improvements are made and sustained.

"We are confident that we have made the necessary improvements and look forward to demonstrating this when the CQC next visit."

Local Democracy Reporting Service