A Margate care home rated ‘inadequate’ following a damning inspection has made vital improvements, a government watchdog has ruled.

Aquarius Lodge in Approach Road has addressed many of the issues raised by the Care Quality Commission in a critical report published in June last year.

But inspectors say the home still falls short in a number of areas – including safety – and have given it an overall rating of ‘requires improvement’.

When the CQC visited Aquarius Lodge last April last year it found the home was ‘inadequate’ in five key areas, and required improvement in three.

Concerns were raised about the safe management of medicine and the cleanliness of the home, as well as recruitment checks on staff.

Following its latest inspection in December, the home is now rated good in three areas and requires improvement in the two ruled to be inadequate last year.

But despite the change, inspectors still found ‘three continued breaches of regulations’.

Their report reads: “The provider failed to ensure the service was clean and smelled fresh.
“This is a continued breach of Regulation 15 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) 2014.”

Shortfalls in how the service is led were also picked up by inspectors, who said: “Staff had not used the correct equipment to keep people safe, such as ensuring a crash mat was in place when required.

"We have all worked extremely hard and want to keep the home moving in the right direction. We are proud of what we have achieved and just want the best for our residents..." - home manager Lynn Meakin

“Records were not always accurate or contemporaneous.

“For example, when a person fell in the night, records were not accurately completed by staff.

“An accident form was not completed until the following morning; this was completed by staff on the next shift rather than by the staff on duty at the time.

“Notes from the night shift did not mentions the person’s fall and were not an accurate reflection of the events.”

The report, however, also describes how residents at the home are treated with “kindness, compassion, dignity and respect.”

"People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice," it said.

"People’s physical, mental, emotional and cultural needs were assessed and reviewed.

"They were encouraged to eat healthily and to drink plenty. Staff supported people to stay as healthy as possible and worked with health and social care professionals; following any advice they were given.

"People were treated with kindness and compassion. Their privacy, dignity and independence were promoted and maintained.

"Staff treated people as equals with their own individuality and showed a concern for people’s physical and emotional well-being. Records containing people’s personal information were stored securely to protect their confidentiality."

The rating has proved to be a step in the right direction for the home as it had been in special measures, following its previous inadequate grading.

The service has now been removed from special measures because of improvements made.

Registered manager Lynn Meakin said: “We took on board what CQC expected from us and we listened to what they required.

“We have all worked extremely hard and want to keep the home moving in the right direction.

“We are proud of what we have achieved and just want the best for our residents.”