Care home in Sandy 'disappointed' as watchdog downgrades it from 'good' to 'requires improvement'

A care home in Sandy has said it is ‘disappointed’ after being downgraded from ‘good’ to ‘requires improvement’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Park House on Mill Lane was handed an overall rating of ‘requires improvement’ in a report published this month. It was rated as requiring improvement in the safe, effective and well-led categories – but good for caring and responsive.

The report states people were “at risk” of poor care and support because systems in place were “not effective” – and said medicine was not always managed safely, with concerns around storage, stock levels and medicines.

But it went on to add: "We found no evidence people had been harmed."

The report also noted gaps in staff training and added the registered manager had not ensured safe recruitment practices were being followed. It stated: "People were not supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff did not support them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests."

But despite this, the inspectors also praised the care home, noting: "Staff treated people with respect and upheld their privacy and dignity. Staff knew people well and encouraged them to be as independent as possible.

"The service worked with a wide range of key organisations who were also involved in people's care. People and staff were positive about the registered manager and nominated individual. Staff said they were both approachable."

You can read the full report online here.

Donna Aldred, manager at Park House, said: “We are obviously disappointed that our longstanding ‘Good’ has been downgraded but we accept that as our regulatory body they have a duty to make sure we comply with the regulations. It has come as a reminder that we cannot sit back and become complacent.

“The outcomes for those in our care are ‘good’ as documented in the report. The feedback we continue to receive from external agencies such as the Local Authority and NHS support this. Since the inspection in August, we have been working hard to improve our documentation and recording of information which we are sharing regularly with CQC and Central Bedfordshire Council.

“We have always prided ourselves on being invested in the people and the families we care for and wish to reaffirm we have their loved ones at the centre of all that we do. The relatives of those with us, have the view that they continue to feel their loved ones receive good care and have verbally expressed their support.”

“As a point of note the inspection process did not take into account the fact that during the pandemic we ensured all our clients were kept safe and no one was lost to Covid.”

Nichole Giddings’ father moved into the care home in 2016 – and was later joined there by her mother where they “lived happily together” until his death in November 2022.

She said: “The care both my parents have received and continue to receive has been exemplary throughout. The manager and staff do all they can to help their residents in any way they can. Both my parents felt and feel safe and cared for at all times and I cannot thank the management team, the nursing team, the carers and all the staff at Park House enough for their professional care and thoughtfulness throughout. That sort of care is hard to find.”