Medicine safety criticised at Rydal care home in Darlington

Rydal Care Home, in Darlington, received the latest rating following an inspection by officers from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in February.

Inspectors highlighted issues including safety concerns over medicine management, people being moved within the building without consulting relatives, and a lacklustre management style.

Rydal was previously put in special measures and was recently investigated after whistleblowers called the watchdog over fears about staffing levels.  It no longer holds the title, but staff have been warned more needs to be done to improve.

The facility’s safety, effectiveness and whether it is well-led were all rated ‘requires improvement’ at the latest inspection, however it retains its ‘good’ rating in relation to being responsive and caring.

Inspectors criticised a lack of safety around the management of medicines, while risk assessments lacked some of the detail required.

Read more: Rydal Care Home in Darlington told to improve by CQC again

The CQC report read: “Medicines including controlled drugs were not always managed safely across the home.

“We found risk assessments needed to clearly set out the actions staff should take to minimise risk. They were not consistently updated and did not always lead to the formulation of a care plan to meet specific needs.

“Assessment information from social workers was not always pulled through to the home's assessment records and care plans/risk assessments. Some information contained in care records was contradictory and either at times inaccurate or not there when it should be.”

Inspectors said people in the home were relocated to other parts of the building without being discussed by relatives, agreed by people with capacity or done under ‘best interests’.

“Relatives said they had been told people would move and it had not been a joint decision,” the report added.

“People who used the service told us they had not been given an option to stay where they were and felt they were forced to move.”

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns the CQC had received about the management and operation of Rydal.

An overall summary from staff who were interviewed declared the management style needed to improve. The report read: “Staff felt there was no point raising concerns as either no action was taken, or some felt repercussions would occur if they did.”

Despite the issues, the CQC said people and relatives “felt the home was safe” and commented on how the staff provided “kind and compassionate care”.

Rydal care home, in Darlington. Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT

A spokeswoman for Rydal Care Home expressed their disappointment at the home’s continued ‘requires improvement’ rating.

“We will be submitting a robust action plan to the CQC to outline the changes that will be made to ensure the home attains a rating of ‘good’ in all inspection areas in future.”

“That begins with better management and culture within the home, and will include improvements to record keeping and storage systems, enhanced communication with residents and their relatives to ensure decisions are made collaboratively wherever possible, and more efficient maintenance processes to make sure that work is carried out promptly.

“While the report confirms that governance systems are actively used by directors, changes will be made to ensure that the process of information sharing and escalation is more consistent and effective across all teams. We will also be implementing additional monitoring and oversight mechanisms to make sure that improvements are maintained and applied consistently within the home.

“As the best interests of our residents is our priority, we are pleased that residents and relatives feel the home is safe and that the care provided is kind and compassionate. The report also recognises that staff have the necessary training, knowledge and skills, and improvements were also made in this area as the inspection progressed.

“We are committed to implementing and sustaining improvements and look forward to demonstrating consistent progress to the CQC.”

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