Wardley Gate Care Centre, a care home in Gateshead operated by Enhanced Elderly Care Ltd, has been told to improve after a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection rated the service as "requires improvement" overall. The report, published last week, highlighted issues with safety and leadership, although the home was rated good for effectiveness, caring and responsiveness.
Safety and governance concerns
Inspectors found that there was "not always a proactive and positive culture of safety" at the home, and that safety concerns were not always investigated or reported. "Lessons were not always learned to continue to identify and embed good practice," they added. The management did not always work well with partners or manage and monitor people's safety effectively.
There were also concerns around "continuity of care" as some records contained "conflicting information". Inspectors identified risks, including "unsecured areas, unsafe storage and environmental hazards". Although the provider had taken action, oversight issues were highlighted. Staff pressures were also noted, with one staff member telling inspectors there weren't enough staff on their floor.
Infection control and odour complaints
Infection control was another area of concern, with inspectors highlighting "poor food labelling", "inconsistent waste management and waste storage" and infection control practices that "were not always applied consistently". One person was quoted in the report as saying: "It could be cleaner. The odour is sometimes unbearable."
In terms of leadership, the CQC identified governance issues, noting that audit and risk tracking processes "did not always identify or address issues in a timely way". Environmental and safety concerns were also flagged. Inspectors added that although action was taken in response to issues identified during the assessment, this "had not always happened early enough to prevent risks developing". Leaders had recognised the need to strengthen oversight and were taking steps to improve governance arrangements.
Next steps
Further work was needed to ensure quality assurance systems were consistently effective and that improvements were embedded and sustained. The inspectors noted: "Most people continued to receive positive support and feedback from people and relatives was generally positive. However, the concerns identified during this assessment meant people did not always receive safe and consistent care." Enhanced Elderly Care has been contacted for comment.
