A DAMNING report has detailed how residents at an Oldham care home for people with dementia and mental health problems were at risk of sexual, financial and physical abuse.

During an inspection of Woodland Care Home in Queens Road in February, some of the 17 residents were found with unexplained bruising.

There were also allegations of verbal and physical altercations between people living at the home which were not investigated.

The report by the Care Quality Commission which has resulted in Woodlands being placed into measures was following the unannounced visit by the inspection team on February 3, 6 and 10, said there was a lack of oversight from management to check issues of abuse were being reported.

Staff confirmed they had received training in safeguarding and were able to describe the different types of abuse that could occur and how they would report concerns.

The report went on: “However, it became apparent one member of staff was aware of allegations of abuse that had taken place, yet had taken no further action to help keep people safe.”

Policies and procedures were in place regarding safeguarding people from abuse. The Oldham local authority procedure was on display near to the main entrance, but more than half of the document was missing and could not be located.

This meant there had been a breach of regulation 13 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 in relation to safeguarding people from abuse and improper treatment.

This was because systems and processes were not established and operated effectively to prevent abuse of service users.

Deeming the Woodland overall and its safety to be “inadequate”, the CQC also highlighted that its medicines were not managed safely with storage of controlled drugs not meeting legal requirements.

The report said: “A small red box was used which was not secured to the wall meaning there was a risk it could be removed from the home.

“The controlled drugs register contained a number of discrepancies and blank pages.

“Medicines such as creams, which required cold storage were stored at room temperature. Insulin was stored in a food fridge which was not locked. The temperature recordings of the medication fridge was inconsistent. People did not have their creams applied as prescribed.

“Medical administration records (MARs) were not always well maintained. For example, when inhalers were not given, there was no reason documented on the MAR to explain why.

“Exact administration times were not recorded where people were receiving medicines which required a specific time gap between doses. Information was not available to guide staff in how and when to administer 'as required' medicines.

“We saw staff giving people their medicines in pots, leaving it with them and not checking to ensure it had been taken. We observed staff signing the MAR stating a person had refused their eye drops, yet when asked, they were happy to take them as required.”

Risks within the home were not well managed, the report said.

This included missing window restrictors in ground floor lounge areas meaning there was a risk people could abscond or leave the building in an unsafe way. Previous incidents of this nature had occurred. Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance recommends windows should be restricted to an opening of 100 millimetres or less.

The report continued: “We had concerns regarding fire safety. Some people frequently smoked in their bedrooms, although, appropriate risk assessments were not completed to manage these risks.

“There had previously been incidents where a mattress had been burnt, lit cigarettes had been left in a bin and attempts made to deliberately set off the fire alarms.

“Fire doors were held open by inappropriate means such as with chairs and door wedges. We made a referral to Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service after the inspection.”

Hazardous chemicals such as white spirit, which looked very similar to bottles of water, were not stored securely and could be accessed easily, potentially placing people at risk.

The kitchen area was not always secure, particularly early in the morning where potential risks such as sharp knives and a boiling hot water dispenser could be accessed.

There had been a previous incident at the home where a person living at the home threatened to harm a member of staff with a knife.

Residents were able to use kettles in their bedroom to promote independence, but risk assessments had not been completed to manage the risks of burns and scalds.

People did not always have the necessary equipment in place to keep them safe, particularly when in bed.

There was also evidence of poor practices regarding infection control.

The report said: “This included heavily stained arm chairs and the use of hand towels, nail brushes and bars of soap in bedrooms.

“Not all bins in the home were foot operated, meaning people may have to touch them after washing their hands.

“The concerns regarding medication, infection control and risk management meant there had been a breach of regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 in relation to safe care and treatment.”

In categories of effectiveness the home was graded “required improvement”, its caring was “good”, its responsiveness “requires improvement” and its leadership was “inadequate”.

The inspection team spoke to the manager, provider, Woodland Care Homes Ltd, seven care staff, 11 residents and four of their relatives.

At a previous inspection the home had received an overall "good" rating.

Responding to the report Oldham Council's cabinet member for health and social care Cllr Zahid Chauhan said: “Oldham Cares is aware of the CQC inspection report findings for Woodlands care home published in March, 2020.

“The failings highlighted in this report are not acceptable and the people living in the care home and their families deserve better.

“We have been, and will continue to, work closely with the provider and the CQC in relation to the findings of the report.

“Our priority is to ensure the safety of residents and ensure quality standards are met. Clear plans are in place to address the issues and a full investigation is ongoing which has and will fully involve residents and families. Our focus is to ensure the safety of residents and ensure that the care delivered is of a high standard.

“We are working with a number of partner organisations to ensure these clear objectives are met and have actions in place to monitor progress.”