Residential home in Forest Gate rated 'inadequate'

Following an inspection in April, the CQC gave Floron Residential Home, which provides care to older people, the worst rating possible and placed it in special measures.

A spokesperson for Floron said it was facing a "particularly challenging time" when the inspection took place, including that it was owed "significant sums of money".

Actions already taken include a refurbishment of the buildings and a new contract for clinical waste bin removal.

According to the CQC head of adult social care inspection, James Frewin, the unannounced inspection was carried out to follow up on specific concerns the organisation had received about the service.

He said: "We found a number of issues including staffing levels, a lack of person-centred care and incidents not being reported to us.

"I was particularly concerned to find that staff didn't always seek appropriate consent from people about their care and that people's dignity and privacy weren't always respected."

The CQC said staff didn't fully understand or work within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act, meaning when people couldn't verbalise their needs, staff made decisions for them instead of supporting them to consent.

According to the CQC, people couldn't always choose whether to have a bath or shower and were often given a bed wash by staff or provided with a bowl of water to wash.

The CQC said one person, between January and April 2022, was only offered a wash in their room.

One person told the CQC they had no freedom and the care home was "like a prison".

The CQC said some bedrooms are shared with a screen which does not extend across the whole space, meaning residents can see and hear others receiving personal care.

Inspectors said the furniture was in need of replacing, there was a strong malodour throughout the communal area and the clinical waste bin was overflowing.

At the time of inspection, the CQC said the service had not had a registered manager in post for nine months.

The CQC noted Floron responded immediately to the inspection findings and employed an experienced consultant to assist in improving the service.

It also said residents' relatives felt the service was safe and the inspection found people could access healthcare services, including a weekly video call with the local GP.

A Floron representative said: "Floron Residential Home was facing a particularly challenging time at the point of the inspection in April."

The home was "owed the home significant sums of money", the spokesperson said, "which have since been paid, with a commitment to ensure the prompt payment of fees moving forward".

He claimed the inspection report was in no way representative of the usual service provided at Floron and that high standards were demanded of staff.

The service pointed out the CQC report acknowledged "most relatives felt the care provided to people was good and would recommend the service".

It is working collaboratively with Newham Council and looks forward to welcoming the CQC back to demonstrate the progress that will be made, the spokesperson said.

It has already ensured users are offered the choice between a bath, shower and wash and that this is recorded in daily notes.

According to Floron, there will be a complete refurbishment of the building which is scheduled to be completed by the end of September.

New screen rooms are being installed to provide greater privacy and Floron has obtained a new contract for clinical waste bin removal.

The spokesperson added that Floron's owner is now attending the service every weekday to ensure there is suitable management and oversight in place.

Mr Frewin said: "The service now has an improvement plan in place and is working with the local authority to address the issues found during our inspection."

If sufficient improvement is not made, the CQC said it would not hesitate to take further action, which could include placing restrictions on the service's registrations or preventing it from providing care.