South Shields care home placed into ‘special measures’ after being rated ‘inadequate’

Seahaven Care Home, on Beach Road in South Shields, has been rated as ‘inadequate’ following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in June.

As a result of the rating, the care home has been put into special measures in an effort to keep people safe.

Seahaven Care Home provides accommodation and personal care for up to 30 people, including people living with dementia or a learning disabilities.

At the time of the inspection, 23 people were using the service.

The inspection was carried out following concerns that the CQC received about people’s care, staffing, management and culture at the home.

As well as the overall rating dropping from ‘good’ to ‘inadequate’, the home has also declined from ‘good’ to ‘inadequate’ for being safe and well-led.

The ratings for being effective, caring and responsive have dropped from ‘good’ to ‘requires improvement’.

Linda Hirst, CQC deputy director of operations in the North, said: “When we inspected Seahaven Care, we had concerns that these needs weren’t being met at the standards people should be able to expect.

“There had been a change in management, since the last inspection, however, we found that significant shortfalls in previous leadership had created a culture that didn’t prioritise or assure the delivery of high-quality care due to poor policies and processes.

“People weren’t always safe. We saw they couldn’t alert staff if they were in distress as the call bells didn’t work in several bedrooms and medicines weren’t managed safely which put people at risk.

“Additionally, we found that the environment didn’t always allow people to live with dignity which infringed on their human rights.

“At the time of the inspection people didn’t have access to hot water in the bathrooms as the service had no way to guarantee they wouldn’t scald themselves.

“The result is that people weren’t always able to wash themselves. However, we were told by the management team that this would be addressed immediately.

“Clocks showed the incorrect time, and people had no way to check the date which can be disorientating especially for those whose ability in this respect is already compromised.

“We saw that menus were difficult to understand for those who found it hard to read, meaning people weren’t always able to choose what they wanted to eat and drink.

“We also saw an environment that was not personalised, comfortable and potentially compromised people’s dignity. People couldn’t personalise their bedrooms, including with items from home.

Read South Tyneside’s news on the go with our free email newsletters - bringing the headlines to your inbox. Catch up on the day’s news and sport and enjoy even more from your Gazette. Visit our website here to find out more and sign up.

“Bedding and towels were worn or unavailable, curtains were hanging off the curtain rails, and carpets were stained and ill-fitting.”

Following the inspection, the CQC has noted that “substantial improvements” were beign made to the running of the service, as well as a change in management.

Additional staff training has also been implemented to ensure that people are getting the best care possible.

CQC inspectors also highlighted that staff were positive about the changes being introduced and working at the service.