Fleetwood Nursing Home ordered to improve in watchdog rap

The home, in Grange Road, was judged unsafe after two inspections when a number of concerns were raised. Its rating was downgraded to the worst possible after it was told it was ‘good’ last year.

“We found not all safeguarding incidents had been appropriately reported to the relevant authorities,” the Care Quality Commission, the government’s health watchdog, said in a report.

“The concerns included unwitnessed skin tears and bruising, injuries caused by moving and handling, and allegations of abuse and neglect.

“We spoke to the registered manager and the deputy manager about the concerns, and both were unaware the incidents should have been reported. Some of the incidents occurred when there was no management at the home.”

The report said managers ‘did not have the oversight needed to ensure the home was run effectively’, and listed several more criticisms.

There were ‘shortfalls’ in the management of medicines, while a lack of protective clothing such as disposable gloves and aprons put people at risk of infection.

The home was ‘not well maintained’, with cleaning products and hazardous chemicals left in reach, and loose screws left on windowsills.

“We found items were exposed in bathroom areas such as urine bottles,” the report added. “A bath seat was seen to be visibly dirty and rusting, and the flooring in one bathroom was cracked.”

Nobody at the home, which faces closure if it fails to improve, could be reached for a comment.