Autumn House Residential Home in Sandown has been rated inadequate for the second time by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), prompting further action to be taken by the regulator.
The Avenue Road-based care home is run by Autumn House Care Limited, providing care for 27 people, many of whom live with dementia. But in light of another damning report against them, it is said the provider will be resigning and a new provider would be taking over the service.
Last year, the CQC rated the home as inadequate and was given a number of issues to resolve. Now, following a second inspection in February and March this year, it has been discovered that the home has failed to address the 11 breaches of the legal regulations CQC identified and has remained in breach of these.
At the most recent inspection, CQC found a further regulation breach relating to staffing, where leaders had allowed new staff to work without employment checks.
Following this inspection, the home’s overall rating and the areas of safe and well-led have again been rated as inadequate. Effective, caring and responsive have again been rated as requiring improvement.
The home remains in special measures, meaning it is being closely monitored to ensure people are kept safe whilst improvements are made. CQC is also in the process of taking regulatory action to address these concerns, which Autumn House Care Home Limited has the right to appeal.
What the inspectors discovered
Inspectors found the home’s environment was unsuitable, with poorly lit corridors, confusing layouts, and tied-up emergency call bells that residents couldn’t reach in an emergency. Fire safety risks were significant, with faulty fire doors, contradictory evacuation instructions, and furniture left unsecured. Inspectors also found hot water pipes exposed and water systems not protected against legionella, adding further health hazards.
Residents with specific dietary needs were given the wrong food textures, increasing choking risks, and staff did not always support those who needed help to eat or drink. In one shocking case, staff removed a resident’s meal and told them to leave a communal room while distressed, instead of offering support. Observations showed that drinks were regularly left out of reach, and residents – especially those cared for in bed – spent long periods isolated with little or no interaction.
Medicines were not safely managed. Some residents received medication covertly without mental capacity assessments or proper authorisation. Allergy information was not consistently recorded, putting people at risk of severe reactions. Some staff had started work without essential background checks, including 1 individual who worked unsupervised with 8 residents. Staff lacked training on key health conditions such as epilepsy, and only 8 out of 25 scheduled supervisions had taken place in a year.
Leadership was severely lacking. The management failed to notify families when things went wrong and did not meet their duty of candour. Care plans lacked personal, cultural, and religious details, placing people at risk of isolation and denying them the opportunity to follow their faith or traditions. Some residents were even served food that went against their dietary preferences or cared for by staff of a gender they had specifically requested to avoid.
Residents’ freedoms were unlawfully restricted, with locked doors limiting access to bedrooms and communal areas. Some had tried to leave the service, but the local authority was not informed as required under Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. The home’s use of CCTV had not been properly assessed, breaching residents’ privacy rights.
Overseas care staff were treated unfairly, with rotas showing some worked 12-hour shifts for more than 7 days in a row without breaks, unlike their UK-based colleagues. Staff, residents and families had little opportunity to give feedback. Inspectors also found that staff used outdated and disrespectful language in care records, which management failed to address.
What the CQC says
Neil Cox, deputy director of operations in the South, says:
“When we inspected Autumn House Residential Home, we continued to find poor leadership and a closed culture was having a detrimental impact on people’s lives.
“Staff weren’t safeguarding people from harm or providing people with the level of care they should be able to expect. Leaders didn’t always report safeguarding concerns externally for further investigation, and they weren’t monitoring staff practice to identify and address issues.
“Leaders still hadn’t implemented improved systems and processes to help support staff to keep people safe. Care plans were still missing key information which didn’t enable staff to support people with their health conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy, and heart conditions.
“People were being neglected at the home. Staff didn’t support people who needed help to eat, served them food which was unsafe for them or not in line with their dietary needs, and they put people’s drinks out of reach. Staff had also set hydration targets for people at risk of dehydration, but they weren’t adjusted for people’s individual needs, so people were still at risk.
“People’s care wasn’t person-centred. We heard staff using outdated language to describe people, which can create a culture where people are not seen as individuals. Some people who stayed in their rooms and were cared for in bed weren’t supported to engage in meaningful activities, and instead had their doors closed and little meaningful interaction with people. Staff didn’t always respect people’s choices or consent, and leaders had made decisions which could violate people’s human rights.
“We’ve told leaders where immediate improvements are needed and we are in the process of taking regulatory action, which Autumn House Care Limited has the right to appeal. We will continue to closely monitor this service to ensure people are kept safe during this time.”
What’s the betting this building will become an
HMO
Absolutely disgusting behaviour by the staff, they should all be named and shamed, that is abuse! The poor people who have dementia do not choose to be this way they should be treated with respect and not be treated the way staff think is acceptable!! Shame on you all!
Well said, you only have to look at many care staff
and nurses etc, majority of them couldn’t look after
themselves yet alone the elderly.
Majority of them need sacking, personally I
believe foreign care staff and nurses are better
than our own, they are more caring and kind people.
The truth hurts.
You hit the nail on the head there. I just wish that the mamby pamby government would bring back the birch and give it to people that treat the sick and elderly like this. They are nothing but scum.