THE health watchdog has found that residents of a care home were "not always treated with dignity and respect" during an unannounced inspection.

The Houseman Care residential care home on School Drive in Bromsgrove, has been given an overall 'requires improvement' rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Housman Care provides accommodation for up to 30 older adults including those who may also be living with dementia.

The care home was most recently inspected in November last year, with the CQC publishing its findings this month. It follows a previous 'requires improvement' rating in March 2023.

According to the report, the inspection was "prompted in part due to concerns received about medicines, management and staffing".

The report said that "people were not always treated with dignity and respect" and highlighted a case where one person had a wound which had leaked through to their clothing.

Inspectors said: "The person was sat in a communal area and even though staff were in the area no attempt was made to change the clothing until it was raised by an inspector.

"The person was then changed in the communal area without any attempts being made by staff to protect their dignity".

Bromsgrove Advertiser: Housman Care Housman Care (Image: Google)

In another instance, the report said: "One person was being moved by two staff using a hoist in a communal area.

"We saw that this person's trousers had slipped down when placed in the hoist sling, exposing their undergarments. No attempt was made by the staff to provide the person dignity until they were moved. We raised this with the manager who said this would be addressed with the staff concerned".

The inspectors found that people did not always receive personalised care. They said: "For example, where a person had expressed feeling unwell, action had not been taken in a timely manner to address the person's concerns".

Inspectors said that medicines were stored safely, but some improvement was needed to how they monitored some medicines.

They added there were systems in place to "safeguard people from abuse and staff understood their responsibilities to keep people safe".

They also shared positive feedback from residents. Inspectors said: "One person told us, "They are nice to me here." A relative said, "They are wonderful here you could not wish for a better place."

"Relatives told us they felt their loved ones were safe and looked after".

They 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".

A spokesperson for Housman Care said: "It is essential to read the report in its entirety. CQC inspections are complex and detail a snapshot in time.

We have a new and dynamic manager at the home appointed in November 2023 and the report details significant findings of how residents are kept safe.

"Residents and relatives were positive about the home.

"Post inspection we work very closely with our CQC and local authority to embed changes we are making.

"No enforcement notices were issued and we continue to work with our inspectorate who have accepted out action plan".