Rochdale care home forced to close after damning inspection

Meavy View Retirement Home on Milkstone Road was ordered to close by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following an inspection report which highlighted several concerns from safeguarding to leadership in a report published last month.

As a result of the sudden closure, residents are being supported by the local authority and are in the process of being moved into alternative homes.

According to the health watchdog, Meavy View's provider, MTCARE Property Limited, initially appealed the decision via a tribunal but withdrew that process on Monday, April 22.

The CQC inspection was conducted by two inspectors and two experts in January and February which involved phone calls to relatives, interviews with staff and MTCARE Property Limited and a visit to the premises.

The hefty report, which rated Meavy View as 'inadequate' overall, revealed safety was a key concern at the home as inspectors found several breaches - from equipment and the health, safety and welfare of the residents to the safe management of medicines.

This included checks on appliances not being completed by a suitable person, a lack of records of robust checks, no formal servicing of the call bell system and concerns about a loose control panel in the lift.

A fallen-down fence and other damaged structures in the patio were also raised by inspectors as trip hazards and risks to residents.

Meanwhile, care plans for dietary needs also fell below standards.

The team found in one case, a resident had incorrectly had their fluids thickened since September last year and despite professional guidance indicating this was no longer required, the care plan had not been updated.

In another, despite a number of known risks to a patient, there was a lack of risk assessments and care plans to help staff meet their needs.

Meavy View also failed to provide an overarching log which catalogued accidents and incidents, meaning it was not able to effectively look for trends and make way for lessons being learnt.

Medicines were equally not being managed safely due to poor record-keeping.

Signatures and codes on medicines were "not always legible" and presented immediate issues with stock checks when the inspectors visited.

For residents, this resulted in some receiving medicines that were not listed on records, for example, a medicine for one person and a topical cream for another.

Where residents were prescribed a variable dose, such as one or two tablets, the amount administered was also not recorded and records were not kept on how, why and when such medicines like paracetamol should be given.

When the CQC conducted its visit, there was an active outbreak of Covid and, despite being told measures were in place, inspectors found the provider had failed to 'cohort' staff into groups.

This meant staff were providing care to both infected and non-infected people, increasing the risk of infection.

The actions the care home took to control the outbreak involved wearing PPE, regularly cleaning areas and opening windows to promote ventilation.

While the CQC said staffing levels seemed to have improved, staff gave inspectors mixed feedback with some saying the care home could be "short-staffed" sometimes and that "care can be rushed" due to a lack of staff.

The manager also told inspectors that four staff members were needed in the morning, three in the afternoon and three at night, yet rotas revealed some shifts operated with less staff than this.

In addition, while the care home ensured staff received enough training to carry out their roles, the CQC had concerns about one staff member whose records weren't accurate.

The inspectors highlighted the provider fell short on supervising staff and had only recently introduced staff appraisals. 

When it came to the risk of abuse, residents said they felt safe living at Meavy View Retirement Home and the majority of relatives also felt their family member received safe care.

Residents were offered a balanced diet though records of fluid intake were not always completed consistently or accurately. 

The inspectors further found improvements in decor, furnishings and furniture continued to be desired.

In one positive in the report, the CQC said the home was 'good' at caring and providing residents with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

However, the home still required improvement when it came to meeting residents' communication needs, particularly through activity schedules and planned events.

Finally, when it came to governance, leadership and management, the CQC rated the home as 'inadequate'.

The inspectors wrote there were "widespread failings in the management and oversight of the service" as the provider did not drive improvements, monitor the quality of care provided or create a learning culture that promoted such improvements.

Audits were not followed consistently and the record-keeping of residents' health matters, such as their food and fluid charts, weight, BMI and medicine records, were not accurate.

In one example, a resident's BMI was listed as being 47.4, which was "impossible based on their height", while another person was recorded to have lost 30kg in two weeks "which had not happened".

Records about residents in need of repositioning in bed due to risks of skin breakdowns, such as bedsores, were also poorly recorded.

Records for three people showed there were days when staff did not log any repositioning and when they had, only one or two instances had been documented.

The care plan indicates repositioning should be done every two to four hours.

The CQC report added: "The lack of detailed and person-centred assessments and plans can put people at risk of not receiving the care they require".

The views of residents, visitors and staff were also only ever "sought sporadically" with many relatives telling inspectors they were not asked or made aware of meetings or questionnaires.

The last annual survey was done in July 2023, yet the care home apparently did nothing with the information to make improvements.

The damning report and sudden decision to close comes as the care home was graded poorly in all five of its most recent inspections, from 'requires improvement' in 2020 and twice in 2022, to 'inadequate' in 2023 and 2024.

A CQC spokesperson said: “Following an inspection of Meavy View Retirement Home in Milkstone Rd, Rochdale, run by MTCARE Property Limited, CQC took action to remove their registration, in effect cancelling the service.

“MTCARE Property Limited appealed our decision to the first-tier tribunal in line with legal process.

"They withdrew their appeal on 22 April, meaning that service will close as the provider is now deregistered."

The health watchdog added: “People using services should receive safe, effective and high-quality care that meets their needs.

"Where that isn’t happening, we take action to support services to improve, and if necessary take enforcement action.

"Our priority will always be the safety of people using health and social care services.”

The residents in the home are also being supported by Rochdale Council into new accommodation.

Nichola Thompson, Rochdale Council’s director of adult social care, added: “Following the Care Quality Commission's action to close Meavy View care home, we are working with other agencies to support our residents in finding alternative care home accommodation as quickly and as safely as possible.

"We are in regular communication with residents, their families, carers and advocates to keep them informed and updated, with the individual needs and wellbeing of our residents the priority.”