Isle of Wight care home put residents at risk of harm says CQC

Blackwater Mill, on the outskirts of Newport, has been placed in special measures following an inspection from the CQC.

During a visit in March and April, inspectors witnessed staff making 'hurtful' comments about residents in front of them.

Some residents were also 'unkempt', the report said, and others had 'little social or emotional interaction' from staff.

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On one occasion, a resident received little to no social interaction for 20 days.

"Someone was stopped from going out alone, there was movement monitoring equipment in someone’s room without consent, and the service didn’t always allow people to choose when intimate personal care was carried out", Neil Cox, CQC deputy director of operations in the south, said.

Buckland Care, which runs Blackwater Mill, said the inspection took place over six months ago and most of the issues raised have now been resolved.

Leaders at the home had identified risks and issues as early as 2021, the CQC said, but had not taken steps to resolve them.

Following the inspection, the home's rating dropped from requires improvement to inadequate and it was placed in special measures, allowing the CQC to keep residents safe while improvements are made.

Smoke alarms missing from several areas and a boiler room being left unlocked, putting people at risk of burning themselves, were among safety issues raised by inspectors.

Cleaning trolleys, including chemicals, were also left unattended and easily accessible.

Equipment to detect falls and how people moved around the home were also not being used properly and call bells were fitted out of people’s reach.

"There were also several stairgates that weren’t fit for use in a care home, with some unlocked, the wrong height, and made from weak materials which people could fall through", Mr Cox said.

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Blackwater Mill, on Blackwater Road, also provides care for people with dementia.

But it was found staff lacked training and guidance on how to support them.

"People who had difficulty swallowing were fed meals which were the wrong texture and put them at risk of choking, and others were fed meals which went against their dietary preferences", Mr Cox added.

Mismanagement of medicines was another area of concern.

This included poor record-keeping and the wrong fridge temperatures to safely store medicines.

Inspectors said some residents had not received their prescribed medicines because, either they were out of stock or staff did not escalate concerns when residents refused to take them.

In one case, someone was not given their medicine because they were asleep.

There were staff shortages, the report said, and employees shared concerns about poor treatment and a lack of support from senior leaders.

Blackwater Mill (Image: IWCP)

Mr Cox said: “We’ve told the provider where improvements need to be made and have taken further regulatory action to keep people safe.

"We will report on this when we’re legally able to do so. We will continue to monitor the home closely during this time.”

A spokesperson for the home said: "We have been receiving increasingly positive feedback from healthcare professionals as we continue to focus on raising our standards further.

"We are working closely with the Isle of Wight Council to ensure that all necessary improvements are made swiftly and effectively.

"Our priority remains the health, safety, and well-being of our residents, and we are dedicated to reaching the highest standards of care."

The spokesperson said a new manager, Natalie Fielding, joined in September and they are confident improvements will continue.