CQC recommends an action plan to be put in place

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has warned Elsden House care home in Tottenham it must improve in the coming weeks.

On an inspection in May 2013, it was found that bosses at the facility did not ensure residents received the necessary levels of care to protect their rights and give them dignity. In order to address the situation, the CQC asked the home to provide an action plan to improve, something that was received in July.

But when investigators went to Elsden House in October, it was shown that a number of problems had still not been resolved - leaving patients with inadequate care.

Inspectors looked at the personal records of four people using the Tottenham-based home in order to ensure planning was being catered to residents' individual needs but it was established that no regular structured activities were taking place.

On the day of the investigation, not a single activity, such as painting, dancing or bingo, took place and this is a serious concern considering all people need to be kept entertained in order to reduce stress levels and increase wellbeing.

While there was an activity co-ordinator role in place to try and arrange these kind of necessities, it was unclear what their exact role was and staffing rotas indicated there was regularly nobody in the facility trained to chair these events at any one time.

Inspectors were particularly concerned when one member of staff said: "They are not capable of doing much ... we tried weekly activities these did not work."

This kind of attitude is not helpful and could harm the long-term progression of the people at the home, which cares for people with a range of mental disabilities.

A statement released by the CQC read: "We found that the action taken by the provider was not sufficient to meet the requirements of Regulation 9 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010.

"Due to continued non-compliance we served a warning notice on the registered provider on 5 November 2013."

Expert Opinion

It is important that the findings of the CQC are taken into account by this care home. The appropriate steps must be taken to ensure all employees at the care home receive adequate training so that all residents at the home receive the very best possible care. <br/> <br/>“Patients with mental health issues are amongst the most vulnerable members of society. Without access to a consistently high standard of care, the consequences can be devastating. It can be difficult to understand many mental health issues as there are no physical signs, therefore this means that extra care needs to be taken to ensure that vulnerable patients are receiving the best possible support.” <br/> Lisa Jordan - Partner