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A care home has been plunged into special measures after inspectors discovered staff and residents were “scared” of a person living at the site.
Ashurst House in Faversham has been slapped with a rating of inadequate – the worst available – by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following a visit in June.
The watchdog concluded the Briton Road facility was unsafe, with service users “at risk of avoidable harm”, after gathering a catalogue of concerning findings.
The inspectors’ report notes: “People told us they did not always feel safe living at Ashurst House.
“One person told us, ‘I like (person's name), they are my friend, but I am scared of them sometimes.’ Some staff told us they were also scared of the person.
“Action had not been taken to support people and staff to feel confident in the person's company and there was a risk the person would be isolated.”
The document also says the provider had failed to notify the CQC of “allegations of abuse”, as required, preventing the watchdog from being able to check steps had been taken to protect people from further risks.
Evidence was unearthed suggesting the blood-sugar levels of a resident with diabetes were regularly allowed to fall below acceptable levels.
While Disclosure and Barring Service checks had been carried out, inspectors realised the home had not ensured “staff had the skills, knowledge and experience required” before they were recruited.
And worryingly, the report states residents “had not been offered the same choices, dignity and independence that most people take for granted”.
“Meals for people at risk of choking were not prepared in a dignified way. All of the foods were pureed together, and people could not taste the flavour of individual foods,” the document reads.
“Staff were preparing meals for people and had not considered whether they could be supported to do this themselves.
“The service's 'mission statement' noted 'Ashurst House aims to provide a homely environment which enables each person to reach their own maximum potential'.
“In practice, this support was only provided when local authorities funded it specifically.”
The visit was prompted by concerns raised with the CQC surrounding the management of medicines and people’s care needs at Ashurst.
As part of being in special measures, the home – which cares for eight individuals with learning disabilities – is set to be inspected again at some point over the next six months.
If it has not improved enough in that time, the CQC “will begin the process of preventing the provider from operating this service”.
The firm running the home, Allied Care, says it has launched an internal investigation into the report's findings.
A spokesman for the company said: "We have been working with maximum speed and effort to ensure the highest standards of care are realised and maintained.
"People told us they did not always feel safe living at Ashurst House..."
"We have already put in place an experienced registered manager to oversee the home and she is working with our quality assurance team to ensure high standards of care for our residents at all times.
"We are in the process of reviewing the care packages for service users to ensure optimum staffing levels and we are confident that our people are safe and happy at Ashurst House.
"Ashurst House was rated ‘good’ in all areas in the previous CQC inspection and we are actively working with and reporting to CQC on the improvements we have put in place to ensure standards improve and never drop again.
"An internal investigation is underway in relation to concerns raised during the course of the inspection."
Despite having an overall mark of inadequate, Ashurst House continues to be rated good in three of the five areas the CQC assesses - effectiveness, responsiveness and caring.
