Updated 30 September 2024
Hebburn Court provides accommodation with nursing and personal care for up to 55 people. 31 people were using the service when we visited, some people were living with dementia. This unannounced assessment was due to whistle blowing concerns about poor care and significant events at the home. We visited the home on 9, 10 and 24 October 2024 and found breaches of the regulations relating to safe care and treatment, person-centred care, safeguarding, safe premises, consent to care, duty of candour and good governance. Ineffective leadership had led to significant shortfalls, placing people at risk of harm, including poor record keeping, ineffective risk management, not reporting and investigating serious allegations of abuse and delays in renewing some DoLS. Actions were outstanding from the last fire risk assessment and the electrical installation safety inspection. As well as fire safety and evacuation concerns. Risks associated with the environment had not been managed. Medicines were not handled safely. Staff did not support people appropriately when they displayed distressed behaviours. The provider had not sought appropriate consent for restrictions on people lacking capacity, such as for bedrails and CCTV use. Care plans were not person-centred, accurate or up to date. Falls, incidents, accidents and allegations of abuse were not effectively analysed. The provider had appointed an interim management team who had developed an action plan and were overseeing improvement. The service has been placed into special measures. The purpose of special measures is to ensure that services providing inadequate care make significant improvements. Special measures provide a framework within which we use our enforcement powers in response to inadequate care and provide a timeframe within which providers must improve the quality of the care they provide.