Great Wyrley care home faces closure over damning CQC report

Hornegarth House Care Home, on Walsall Road in Great Wyrley, has been placed in special measures by the Care Quality Commission and could be forced to close if it does not improve in six months.

In a scathing report released by the watchdog, it found the home was critically understaffed with residents suffering injuries, medicines being administered days late and people not being given food and drink quickly enough.

The home's safety, effectiveness, leadership and responsiveness were all rated inadequate - the worst possible rating - while the home's care was rated as requires improvement.

A report prepared after inspectors visited the home at the end of March said: "There were not enough staff to offer support to people in a timely manner. The lack of staff within the home meant people had to wait for personal care, meals and medicines. As the rota was left uncovered we could not be assured there were the recommended amount of staff available for people.

"People did not receive medicines as prescribed because we found medicines from previous days in blister packs. When people were prescribed medicines for agitation we did not see any evidence that people had been agitated when these medicines had been administered. When people needed pain relief they did not always receive this in a timely manner.

"People were at risk as there were not enough staff to keep them safe. Injuries had occurred within the home due to the lack of staff available. Risks to people were not managed in a safe way. We saw no evidence after incidents had occurred that action had been taken to reduce the risk reoccurring. Staff did not demonstrate an understanding of safeguarding and so we could not be sure people were protected from potential abuse."

On the service now being in special measures and facing potential closure, the report added: "The overall rating for this service is 'Inadequate' and the service is therefore in 'special measures'. Services in special measures will be kept under review and, if we have not taken immediate action to propose to cancel the provider's registration of the service, it will be inspected again within six months.

"Where necessary, another inspection will be conducted within a further six months, and if there is not enough improvement so there is still a rating of inadequate for any key question or overall, we will take action to prevent the provider from operating this service. This will lead to cancelling their registration or to varying the terms of their registration."

Hornegarth House was unavailable for comment.