A WHITEHAVEN care home has been told it 'requires improvement' after an inspection from the healthcare watchdog.

The Care Quality Commision visited the Harbour View Care home in the town on March 17 2022 after they were prompted in part due to 'concerns received about infection prevention practices, shortages of basic supplies and medicines management practices.'

In the report, inspectors said that they found evidence that the care home needs to make improvements - in areas such as safety and leadership.

Harbour View Care Home is a nursing home providing personal and nursing care for up to 50 adults. 45 people lived at the home at the time of the inspection. 

Although residents at the home said that they felt safe at Harbour View and that they were supported by staff who knew how to raise their safety concerns, inspectors found that 'infection prevention protocols were not robustly followed, and we were not assured by measures in place including measures to reduce the risks associated with COVID-19.'

The watchdog made a recommendation about infection prevention practices.

Safeguarding procedures were in place to protect people from the risk of abuse, and to educate staff on how to recognise and respond to concerns.

The CQC also found areas of improvement in staff training, record keeping and storage of unwanted medicines - however the report recognised that people were supported to receive their medicines.

A spokesman for Four Seasons, the company which owns the care home said: “Our hard working teams strive each day to protect everyone in our homes.

"We regret that the inspector felt Harbour View Care Home had fallen below the standards that the CQC requires.

"We are however pleased to see good ratings for effectiveness, caring and responsiveness.

"Since the inspection in March, we have implemented a comprehensive action plan to address the areas noted in the report.”

The watchdog have said they will work alongside the registered provider and local authority to monitor progress and will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when they next make an inspection.

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