A SLOUGH care home has been put into special measures after being rated inadequate by inspectors.

The issues have been raised following an unplanned inspection by the Care Quality Commission.

Reports had been raised by the local authority relating to the management of people’s care, medicine management, quality of care, and management of the service.

Inspectors found the care home to be ‘inadequate’ as a result of feedback from the staff, assessments of medicine management and upkeep of the facility.

Residents at Salt Hill Care Centre, managed by Windsor Care Limited, were found to be at risk of ‘avoidable and significant harm’.

The CQC said that this was due to ‘unsafe practices in several areas such as safeguarding adults at risk of abuse, managing risks and medicine management’.

Mulkraj Ram, the general manager for Salt Hill Care Centre, said: “We have been so busy following Covid and making sure the facility is complying with all the regulations, however we are making some key changes in regard to staffing issues.

“This includes a quality insurance manager and a multi-discipline team to make sure that our residents are being treated to the high standard.

“We are also working closely with all relevant partners, to implement those short-term improvements and build the long-term health of Salt Hill.”

During the visit the inspectors found an incident where a resident had experienced an injury and although information on the bruising was documented, nothing was noted about the cause or action taken.

The Care and Quality Commission said: “We observed a person who had multiple visible bruises across their hands and arms. They had dried blood on their head and in their hair.

“Staff were not able to provide us with any further information about the injuries and there were no record of the service reporting these unexplained injuries to the local authority’s safeguarding team.

“This practice was not in line with the service’s safeguarding policyandproceduresdated16May 2022 and meant preventative measures were insufficient to protect people from potential abuse.”

Mr Ram said: “Recognising this, we have acted promptly on the concerns highlighted in the report and taken immediate steps to address all of the key issues.

“We are taking important steps to get the standard back to our previous standard which have been highlighted which will be put in place promptly.

“We are committed to the safety and welfare of our residents and making sure they are getting the best care at alltimes.”

Although the effectiveness of people’s care, treatment and support did not always achieve good outcomes, relatives and residents themselves have had positive feedback about the care and staff.

One relative said: “We had lengthy meetings (with staff) when she was admitted to the care home to discuss her needs”.

Nutrition and hydration needs throughout the facility were noted for being inconsistent, with some areas having little choice of meals.

However, other areas of the care home were found to be effective and efficient when providing meals and sufficient time to eat them.

Speaking to inspectors, one resident said: “My mother has little appetite, she doesn’t want to eat, but she does seem to maintain her weight, she has put on weight since she has lived (at the service).”

An action plan has been requested for the provider to understand what they must do to improve the standards and quality.

Salt Hill Care Centre will be re-inspected in six months to check for significant improvement.

The Care and Quality Commission’s previous inspection was on June 15, 2018 where it was rated ‘good’.