Council-run Portsmouth care home put into special measures

A CARE home run by a council has been rated inadequate by a health watchdog after an unannounced inspection put the service in special measures.
An inspector raised concerns about Hilsea Lodge care home in Gatcombe Drive in PortsmouthAn inspector raised concerns about Hilsea Lodge care home in Gatcombe Drive in Portsmouth
An inspector raised concerns about Hilsea Lodge care home in Gatcombe Drive in Portsmouth

Hilsea Lodge, on Gatcombe Drive in Portsmouth, was given the lowest rating following a visit by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in November.

During their visit to the home run by Portsmouth City Council, inspectors looked at five different criteria rating it as requires improvement for being caring and responsive and inadequate for being safe, effective and well-led.

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The CQC report, published earlier this month, outlines concerns with the care home such as allegations of abuse not being reported to the relevant authorities or investigated by management.

The report also said there was shortage of staff which meant they could not ensure people’s safety or provide personalised care.

It added there was a lack of fire evacuation training which meant staff would not know what actions to take in the event of an emergency.

A statement from Portsmouth City Council said: ‘The report issued by the CQC has highlighted a number of areas in which improvement is required.

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‘It is clear that we have fallen below the standards expected by the CQC and our residents.

‘It is clear there are areas in which we need to improve.

‘Over the coming months the team at Hilsea Lodge will be focusing on improving quality management processes and reviewing care records to ensure that residents are kept safe.

‘We have spoken to staff, residents and their families to reassure them of the changes we’ve already made and everything that’s in the pipeline to help ensure the continuing safety of the people in our care.’

Inspectors found interactions between staff and residents were positive although, on occasions, staff did not treat people with consideration and their dignity and privacy were not always protected.

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They also found some areas of the home were not clean and had a bad smell.

A spokesman from the CQC said: ‘This service will continue to be kept under review and, if needed, could be escalated to urgent enforcement action.

‘If there is not enough improvement so there is still a rating of inadequate for any key question or overall, we will take action to prevent the provider from operating this service.’