Shrewsbury care home told to improve by inspectors

The Mount and Severn View Care Home was visited by Care Quality Commission inspectors in August.

In their report the inspectors reported that staffing levels at the home had been a cause for concern amongst residents and their families.

It was reported that it had impacted on people's dignity, safety, and the way in which staff were able to meet their needs.

Inspectors found that the home's managers were not aware of the staffing concerns or the effect they were having on people, and said that the home required improvement on all levels.

Read the full CQC report on the Mount and Severn View Care Home here

The Mount and Severn View Care Home provides accommodation with nursing and personal care for 58 people.

There is a dedicated unit within the home, called Memory Lane, for those living with dementia.

The home was also found to require improvement in being safe for residents.

Staff told inspectors that they were 'spread too thin'. One staff member said: "Staffing issues make the job harder. Some paperwork gets rushed also."

Only one member of staff worked on Memory Lane and this was considered to be inadequate.

But the inspectors found that the medicines at the home were kept and dispensed safely and staff made sure the residents were comfortable and had a drink to take their medicine with.

The effectiveness of the home was also questioned. Although the manager was said to have a clear understanding of the Mental Capacity Act, records relating to people's capacity were not clear in showing how the agreed decision had been made.

"People's dignity was not always upheld because of the impact staffing had on them," said the inspectors. "This lead to people to people becoming distressed because they had soiled themselves whilst they waited for staff to answer their call bells."

One staff member said: "Some people will be kept waiting if they need the toilet. We can't get to everyone in time."

Inspectors said they spoke to staff about whether they felt supported in their roles and got a mixed response.

The new manager had been in place for 24 hours but staff felt they were 'excited' about the appointment and looked forward to being involved in the positive changes this would bring.

Responding to the report, a spokeswoman for the home said they have put in place a plan to improve the home.

She said: "We take the findings of the Care Quality Commission very seriously and we recognise that changes need to be made in the home as the report identified. We have implemented a comprehensive plan clearly outlining the steps being taken to ensure these improvements in our services continue to be achieved.

"The home has employed new management and will continue to ensure staff receive the support they need. We would like to reassure every one of our commitment to provide the highest quality of care to those living at The Mount House & Severn View and to emphasise that their health and wellbeing is at the forefront of everything we do.”