A Glossop care home has been rated as inadequate and placed in special measures after an inspection found major failings. 

The unannounced inspection by Care Quality Commission (CQC) was carried out in February at Pennine Care Centre, a care home for older people living with dementia as well as younger people with mental health conditions. 

The report, just published, has revealed that as well as the home’s overall rating falling from good to inadequate, it was also rated inadequate for being safe, caring, and well-led. 

As a result of the inspection, the Turnlee Road home will be closely monitored and inspected again within six months. 

Natalie Reed, CQC head of adult social care inspection, warned: “The service’s leaders know where improvements must be made. If these are not implemented, we will take further action which could lead to its closure.” 

Inspectors found that the provider of the service, NYMS Limited, lacked oversight and governance arrangements to ensure quality of care was maintained. 

Ms Reed said: “Our inspection of Pennine Care Centre found people were not receiving high standards of care which they have a right to expect, or consistent treatment for their medical conditions. 

“We found people were not treated with dignity and respect or offered adequate choice about their care. 

“A resident who required support dressing was wearing dirty clothes, and people did not always receive the right bedding, such as blankets or duvets, even after this was requested. 

“People’s designated loved ones could have been given essential caregiver status, enabling them to visit during the height of the pandemic. But the service did not support this, so people were needlessly deprived of social interaction. 

“When visits were re-established, areas people could use lacked appropriate privacy.    

“Not only did these issues impact people’s quality of life, they also undermined their health outcomes, sense of worth and exposed them to avoidable risk of harm. 

“We also found the service was short staffed, which affected its cleanliness, and some employees had not received essential training, including to protect people from the risk of abuse.  

“Behind these failings was a lack of leadership and oversight to ensure the service provided people with high-quality, safe care and treatment."

Among the finding inspectors found: 

• Audits were in place but had not been used to make necessary changes or drive improvements to keep people safe. 
• Staff morale was poor, leading to people receiving inappropriate care that did not respect them or consider their dignity. 
• There were not enough staff to undertake effective cleaning of the home or to support people whose behaviours posed a risk. Staff had not received the required training to ensure competency. 
• Infection prevention and control was not well managed, and inspectors were unassured staff used personal protective equipment appropriately. 
• Medicines were not managed safely, and risk assessments had not been completed consistently. Behaviours plans were not in place to support staff provide appropriate care. 
• Staff felt unsupported, reporting the home lacked structure or clear guidance to enable them to fulfil their roles. 

In a statement to the Glossop Chronicle, the management at Pennine Care Centre said: “The Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out an unannounced inspection at Pennine Care Centre on 16 and 23 February 2022.

“Unfortunately, at the time of the visit, CQC felt that the performance of the home had deteriorated and rated the home as inadequate, from a previous Good rating in July 2021. 

“We are very disappointed with this outcome and are working very hard to rectify the issues identified. 

“We are working closely with the residents, families, CQC, the local authority and have also acquired specialist consultants to support in our recovery journey. 

“We have made immediate, significant changes to the home and will continue to monitor and improve the service going forward. 

“We have apologised for the distress caused by this report and reassured our residents and their families that this is not a reflection of the current service provision.” 

The inspection report is available to view on the CQC’s website at https://www.cqc.org.uk/ 

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