A care home in Newcastle has been told that it must make improvements urgently after being rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in a recent report. 

Bowland Lodge, in the Arthur's Hill district of Newcastle, now faces being shut down.

The residential care home has 26 patients, living with a variety of needs, including mental health and dementia. 

Inspectors found risks to safety were not fully assessed, cleanliness did not "promote dignity and wellbeing", records did not always evidence that safe recruitment procedures were followed, and the system to manage medicines was not always effective.

The Northern Echo: Bowland Lodge, Newcastle

The deputy director of the CQC's operations in the north, Linda Hirst, said she was "disappointed" by the home's latest inspection, stating that "a number of issues which were highlighted during our previous inspection had still not been addressed". 

Ms Hirst said: “When we inspected Bowland Lodge, it was disappointing to see a number of issues which were highlighted during our previous inspection had still not been addressed including a continued lack of compliance with our regulations which are designed to keep people safe.

"Our main concern was the lack of effective systems in place to ensure the service provided safe and good quality care to people using it. Records were still not always clear and up-to-date and didn’t fully show that the provider had taken steps to mitigate any potential risks to people.    

Recommended reading: 

Get the latest news, sports, and entertainment delivered straight to your device by subscribing to The Northern Echo here. 

“We also had serious concerns about the safety of the environment people were living in. Improvements were needed in the cleanliness and maintenance of the home’s indoor and outside spaces, fire safety and infection control, including food hygiene. Following the inspection, the registered manager has told us they’ve taken further action to address our concerns in this area.”

There were a few notable improvements, such as enough staff to meet people’s needs and a staff support and training system was in place.

Improvements have also been made in relation to meeting people’s social needs, such as activity programmes put in place. People were supported to access the local community and take part in activities which interested them such as arts and crafts.