Minster Grange Care Home, York, told to improve by CQC

Minster Grange Care Home, in Haxby Road, was given the overall rating of ‘requires improvement’ after an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The service is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care for up to 62 people.

It provides support to people with physical disabilities and older people.

Inspectors visited on April 26 and 28 and May 3 during an unannounced inspection as part of the CQC’s regulatory functions.

At the time of the inspection there were 41 people using the service.

The watchdog gave the service the rating of ‘inadequate’ for safety, meaning it felt people were not safe and were at risk of avoidable harm.

The report gave an example of a person at risk of choking being assessed as requiring a modified diet but receiving a normal diet which put them at risk.

They said guidance for staff around whether people needed to be supervised or assisted with their food was unclear and not always correct, and that staff did not always have access to sufficient information about people’s dietary requirements.

Following the CQC’s feedback, the provider reviewed people's dietary needs to ensure requirements were met and staff had up to date and accurate information.

Inspectors also felt the service was understaffed which meant people did not receive safe and person-centred care.

Inspectors said: “Staff were rushed, under pressure, and consistently told us staffing levels were not appropriate to them to meet people's needs.”

They added: “We were not assured that the staffing levels were sufficient to ensure people were always protected from the risk of abuse and avoidable harm.”

Staff comments to the inspectors included: "We are severely understaffed. Residents can be left unattended for an inexcusable amount of time.”

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Following feedback from the CQC and new admissions to the service, the provider increased staffing levels and told the watchdog they would recalculate the appropriate staffing levels and carry out observations to see how staff were deployed and whether the levels were sufficient.

The CQC awarded the ‘requires improvement’ rating to the categories of whether the service was effective, responsive and well-led.

The watchdog requested an action plan from the provider to understand how it will improve the rating and said it would meet with the provider after the report was published to discuss this further.

A spokesperson for Maria Mallaband Care Group (MMCG), which runs Minster Grange Care Home, said: “Senior managers are supporting all staff at Minster Grange Care Home in order to ensure that the necessary improvements are made and sustained. 

“We are confident that we are making the necessary improvements and creating a positive care service since the initial inspection and look forward to demonstrating this at the next CQC visit.”

The report can be read in full on the CQC’s website.