Willenhall care home placed into special measures after watchdog finds people 'at risk of harm'
A care home has been placed into special measures after a watchdog found people were "at risk of harm" - with relatives coming in to help feed residents due to concerns over how much support they got.
Swan House in Willenhall has been given an 'inadequate' rating after an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in November.
It followed a previous inspection in August when a warning notice was issued telling the care home in Pooles Lane that improvements were needed in certain areas.
Following the latest inspection, the care home’s overall rating has dropped from requires improvement to inadequate, as have the ratings for being safe, effective and well-led.
Inspectors found people using the service and their relatives had raised concerns around staffing levels.
In some cases, relatives came in at lunchtime to support their loved ones to eat, as they felt they wouldn’t get the support they needed if they didn’t, the CQC said.
It was also noted that staff had not received training to support people who had dementia and displayed periods of emotional distress and people did not always receive pain relief when needed, while medicines were not always safely managed as stock checks were inaccurate, and bottles opened were not dated.
There were also concerns surrounding safeguarding procedures and people not having access to call bells when in their room to access support when needed.
However, inspectors said the care home was clean on the day of the inspection and signage had been used to support people living with dementia.
