A Herne Bay care home has been branded unclean and unsafe in a shock health report.

Beacon Hill Lodge, opposite the Kings Hall, was heavily criticised by watchdogs who discovered:

• Underwear handed back to the wrong people
• Residents referred to by room number rather than name
• Dirty areas of the building;
• Inadequate storage of medicines

Published this week, the report was based on a surprise inspection by the Care Quality Commission, the independent regulator of all health and social care services in England.

The home has promised to tackle the catalogue of shortcomings.

Sarah Dean, the director of quality and risk at Nicholas James Care Homes, which own Beacon Hill Lodge, said: “The CQC arrived on my second day in the post which was a bit of a shock.

“We had a bad report and we are putting things in place to overcome that.

“We are having a meeting with Kent County Council to settle on the date and type of refurbishment that will take place. A full refurbishment will be taking place.”

The report, which is available to read in full on the CQC website, revealed that people did not always feel safe at Beacon Lodge – with one person telling assessors: “I call at night and it can take an hour to answer.”

It was found others were at risk of being isolated and neglected.

On the first day of the three day inspection, one person waited for nearly two hours to be given a hot drink that had been made for them by staff.

Another section stated: “Information about staff had not been obtained to make sure staff did not pose a risk to people.

"We had a bad report and we are putting things in place to overcome that..." - Sarah Dean

“Guidance was not available to staff, including new or agency staff, about the
provider’s safeguarding or whistleblowing processes.”

Both the provider and manager were reported to have no idea as to what training staff had completed or what skills and experience they had.

Inspectors found areas of the building and equipment unclean while no care plans were in place to make sure people received consistent treatment, even with wound and catheter care.

Medicines were not administered at the right times nor stored in a clean environment.

There was also a lack of disposal of medicines when they were no longer required.

“Action had not been taken to make sure people were as safe as possible,” it went on.

Paperwork, including medicine administration records, were not accurate and did not provide staff with the information they needed to assess people’s needs or plan their care.

Inspectors also said: “Meal times were not social occasions at Beacon Hill Lodge and people were not supported to get out of bed to eat or to sit together at tables.”

They added: “People did not know what they were eating and people who had lost weight had not been referred to appropriate health care professionals.”

If an emergency evacuation was required at Beacon Hill Lodge, then no plan was in place to undertake this action either.

The care home was placed into “special measures” by the CQC with the purpose to ensure that the providers providing inadequate care significantly improve.

Beacon Hill Lodge will continue to be monitored and another inspection of the care home will be carried out in January 2016.