Congleton care home invites inspectors back following 'disappointing' report
A Congleton care home has invited inspectors back following a 'disappointing' report.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated Priesty Fields Care Home as inadequate and placed the service into special measures following an inspection carried out earlier this year.
However, the home say 'significant' progress has been made since then and have invited the CQC to visit again to see the improvements for themselves.
A spokesperson said: "We are disappointed with the CQC's findings following the inspection, which began seven months ago in November 2024. The report, only just published now, does not reflect the significant progress that has been made at the service since that time.
"Since the inspection, we have appointed a completely new management team at the home, supported by a new regional leadership team. This has driven forward substantial improvements in care, governance, and overall service quality.
"We have worked closely and constructively with the Local Authority and other key stakeholders throughout, and we remain fully committed to delivering safe, person-centred care.
"We have requested that CQC revisit the home to see the improvements, but unfortunately we have not yet received a response. We believe strongly that the service today is markedly different and improved from the one inspected seven months ago."
The inspection carried out in January was the first since Priesty Fields Care Home, which provides personal and nursing care for up to 78 people, was taken over by Sandstone Care Cheshire Limited.
During the inspection, the CQC identified nine breaches of regulation, some of which related to providing safe, individualised care and the management of the service.
In the report published in June, the home was given an overall rating of inadequate and was therefore placed in special measures, meaning it will be kept under close review by the CQC.
Karen Knapton, CQC deputy director of operations for Cheshire and Merseyside, said: "At this inspection, we found that leaders at Priesty Fields Care Home had failed to provide safe care that met the individual needs and preferences of the people in its care.
"People we spoke with had mixed feedback about the quality of care they received.
"Some spoke positively about the permanent staff and felt their care was safe and effective.
"However, we heard concerns about the high staff turnover and number of agency staff employed at the home which made people's care inconsistent and less likely to be in line with their personal preferences."
Ms Knapton added: "Leaders didn't identify risks of harm or injury and didn't take steps to mitigate these risks and protect the people in their care. Our team saw two instances where people weren't given the appropriate equipment to help reduce the risk of them falling.
"People living with dementia also had unrestricted access to a balcony, and leaders hadn't carried out an assessment to reduce the risk of them falling.
"It was concerning that we saw signs of a closed culture. People and their families didn't have access to their care plans. The home couldn't explain to us why this was, and we found that one relative's complaint about access was wrongly denied when we asked about it.
"It was good to see people had access to a range of activities when activity coordinators were on duty. However, one person shared their frustrations of living on a higher floor and being unable to get out into fresh air unsupervised, which made them feel trapped.
"We have told Priesty Fields Care Home where urgent action is needed to address breaches of legal regulations. They must make improvements to ensure people's safety, and we will keep the home under close review while this happens."
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