CQC issue damning report on Priory Rookery Hove care home

The care home caters for young adults with learning disabilities, autism or mental health issues and has been rated as inadequate in every category, in a report published in January 2020.

The CQC found that people were not safe at the facility, which if not acted upon, could lead to care home abuse. Policies were not always followed or were inadequate to prevent harm, and in many cases, lessons were not learnt from harmful incidents as they occurred repeatedly. This was exacerbated by the fact that many of the staff had not received adequate training to provide appropriate care to the residents, of which the care requirements differed greatly from person to person.

The lack of staff training extended to understanding of diversity and equality, particularly when dealing with certain aspects where mental health issues may call for this understanding.

The service a transitional unit, helping residents to develop skills to live an independent life away from care. However, it was reported that a number of residents have lived there for over five years, illustrating the fact they are not learning the requisite skills of independent living.

A chef was employed at the unit for just three days a week meaning that support staff had to do this four days a week. The staff were found to not have the nutritional training or cooking skills required to provide adequate meals for the residents.

At the time of the inspection the home was found to be dirty and in a state of disrepair with damage to the communal kitchen, windows, radiators, cupboards and a stair rail.

Care home claims

Any mistreatment within a care facility, including care home abuse, could mean there is cause to make a care home claim. This is also true for care home staff where their employer has not put adequate measures in place to protect their staff from harm.

In the case of Priory Rookery Hove, a staff member stated

“Staff physically intervene when people have razor blades and have been getting cut, there’s no support and we do not learn from mistakes. They say we will be given training, but we don’t. We don’t know what infections we could potentially get.”

If either a staff member or resident of a care or nursing home have been hurt due to negligence, they may be able to seek care home compensation.

Our specialist medical negligence solicitors can offer free initial advice to anyone who would like to discuss the care they have received, or the conditions under which they work, and see if a claim for compensation could be made.