Cuckfield care home for people with dementia still ‘requires improvement’, says CQC

The report, dated December 6, 2022, said an unannounced comprehensive inspection of Pelham House Residential Care Home in London Road took place on October 27.

The service, which is provided and run by Cedarcare (SE) Ltd, received ‘requires improvement’ for two categories, with the report saying it was not always safe or well-led.

The CQC report said: “The service provides support to people with a range of health care needs, such as dementia, diabetes and frailty of old age. At the time of our inspection 28 people were using the service.”

It continued: “Medicines were not always administered safely. Medication administration records should be signed after each person received their medicines, but this was not done. Some people did not receive their prescribed

medicines on time. Staff did not always change their disposable gloves or sanitise their hands between interacting with people and a change of activity.”

The CQC added that auditing systems ‘were not sufficiently robust to identify concerns found at this inspection’.

The report explained that this service has been rated ‘requires improvement’ for its last three consecutive inspections with the previous report published on August 5. It also said the most recent inspection, which focussed on the key questions of safe and well-led only, was carried out because the CQC had ‘received concerns in relation to the cleanliness of the home and the care people received’.

However, the CQC said that people were safe and felt safe living at the home, and said staffing levels were sufficient to meet people’s care and support needs. They added that call bells were responded to quickly and said that risks to people, including environmental risks, were identified, assessed and managed safely.

The report added: “People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.” People were also positive about the care they received from staff, it said.

Pelham House has been approached for comment. People can read the full report here.