Patient allowed beer at inadequate care home despite medication advising against alcohol

Prospect House, in Altofts, is back in special measures, only a year after being taken out of them by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Inspectors have highlighted several failings within the service, which cared for seven people at the time of their visit in May.

A report by the CQC said that prescription drugs were not managed safely at the premises, on Drury Lane, and in one case a patient was allowed to drink beer despite being on medication which specified they should not consume alcohol.

Concerns were also raised about a high turnover of staff at the home and inspectors said that in some cases workers only found out what shift patterns they were working one day beforehand.

The report said: "People were not safe and were at risk of avoidable harm. Some regulations were not met.

"Staff lacked knowledge around how to support people with behaviours that challenged. They completed training, but this did not equip them with the skills to fully understand the different intervention techniques.

"Staff recorded different level intervention techniques they used on incident forms but were unable to explain what these were.

"Support plans contained a lot of information, but did not always reflect the person's needs. One person's support plan stated they could have one beer.

"Staff and management were unclear about the reasons only one beer was allowed. One member of staff said they thought it was a decision that was made two years ago.

"However, we established they were prescribed a medicine that clearly stated alcohol should not be consumed."

Inspectors spoke to relatives of people in the home, one of whom said that although they'd raised concerns, improvements had not been made.

They said, "I have no trust in the management at all, I'm tired of hearing my own voice complaining, with nothing changing."

Another relative was quoted as saying, "I have no problem complaining, I know what's right and wrong, I just wish they would listen."

There was praise however for the way staff interacted with patients.

The report said: "Examples of caring practice were seen on both days of the inspection.

"People enjoyed the company of staff who supported them. Some people enjoyed banter with staff and others they lived with."

Prospect House now has six months to make big improvements to the service or else potentially face closure.

The home's management declined to comment.

Local Democracy Reporting Service