Another Bognor Regis care home 'requires improvement' according to new report

Provided by West Sussex County Council, the service supports people with learning difficulties and physical disabilities. At the time of the inspection in early May, 16 people were living there. The service has the facilities to support 20 people.

As always, the service was evaluated across a range of criteria – safety, effectiveness, quality of care, responsiveness and leadership. Inspectors found it fell short in every area.

This report follows on from a previous report published in August 2019, which also concluded the care home was in need of improvement after regulation breaches in a number of areas.

Inspectors found that ‘there were not always sufficient staff deployed for people to always take part in activities and visits in accordance with their wishes. For example, people had limited opportunity to try new experiences, develop new skills and gain independence. Managers and staff told us there were not enough staff to support people on a one to one basis to learn new skills or go out to try new experiences individually.’

Similar shortcomings were discovered when it came to managing people’s health. Residents had ‘limited’ agency when it came to choosing their own food because food was largely ordered by catering staff and transferred to the staff kitchens.

Certain parts of the care home – like the shared garden and courtyard areas – were found to be inaccessible to some patients because they were ‘unkempt’ , but the registered manager informed inspectors that work was beginning to tidy these areas up.

Finally, inspectors found that patients were ‘not always treated with dignity and respect’, referencing a number of incidents in which staff showed little regard for the people in their care.

The report says: “We observed a person being supported by staff to go out for a walk in the local area. The person had visible food and drink stains on their clothing. No attempt was made to support them to change before they went out. This showed a lack of consideration of the person's dignity."

A spokesperson for West Sussex County Council, the authority responsible for the service, acknowledged the critiques made in the report, but emphasised the fact that it highlights several positive elements of the service at Hammonds. They made particular reference to ‘the good quality of health care, treatment and support that residents receive from trained staff, and which reflects their range of needs, and which promotes their wellbeing.’

They added: “A spokesperson for West Sussex County Council said: “We acknowledge the CQC’s inspection report which found some improvements are required at The Hammonds, an in-house residential care home supporting people who have learning disabilities, physical disabilities and people with autism.

“The wellbeing, safety and security of people in our care is our utmost priority. We are working closely with the CQC to make improvements and will update them on the progress we make.”

For a full report, click here.

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