Nayland Lodge care home in Colchester remains in special measures

Nayland Lodge entered special measures after being rated “inadequate” by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in December last year.

It had already been told it required improvement following an inspection in 2021.

The CQC has now published the findings of its latest visits to the care home, in Nayland Road, Mile End, Colchester.

Care home - Nayland Lodge, in Nayland Road, Mile End, Colchester (Image: Google)

Flaws in the service’s safety and leadership have seen Nayland Lodge remain in special measures, although a new rating has not been awarded as a full inspection was not completed.

In a report published by the CQC this week, inspectors said the people living at the care home are “not effectively supported”.

“We identified incidents where people expressed heightened anxiety and distress which were avoidable,” the report said.

• In full: The four inadequate care homes in north Essex according to watchdog

The care home’s leadership was also brought into question after the watchdog identified “a high number of incidents requiring police intervention and a failure to identify and act on where things were going wrong”.

The care it provides was also criticised, with the inspectors stating the service “was not person-centred and did not promote people’s dignity, independence, and safety”.

The CQC will revisit the care home, which provides accommodation for up to eight people, within six months to check for significant improvements.

Enforcement measures will be taken if it fails to improve, which could lead to the cancellation of the care provider’s registration.

What does Nayland Lodge say?

A spokesman for the care home said the whole team has been “working tirelessly” to ensure the issues raised by the CQC in December are addressed.

They acknowledged it is “taking time to put good measures and practices in place”, adding that “putting in place good systems, practices, and culture takes time”.

“Having drawn up care plans that are more person-centred and staff being more familiar with the needs of our residents, we have seen a significant change of behaviour leading to a drop in calls to the police,” they added.

The care home's response in full

Outlining the care home’s response, Nayland Lodge said: “We have revamped our residents’ care plans to ensure they are person-centred, completing these forms together with our residents.

“We have put in an application for digital record systems to enable us to evidence the good work we do within the home.

“We have worked tirelessly in ensuring we imbibe the right support, the right care, and the right culture.

“Staff meet with the residents to discuss and take on their views and choices of how they like to spend their day on a daily basis. Residents go out in the community on a regular basis with support from staff or on their own if they choose to do so.

“When it comes to community activities, Nayland Lodge ensures the residents choose their own activities. At the same time, we also ensure our residents are safe both when out with staff, on their own or in the care home.

“We have employed new staff and employ the use of agencies to cover any shortfall.

“In terms of learning and development, we have recently changed over to a new e-learning provider to a system that is easier for staff to access and meet the development needs of our staff.

“We have a trainer on board who can provide face-to-face training to our staff and we have also had in-house training so we have staff who are able to deliver specific training to staff.

“Having drawn up care plans that are more person-centred and staff being more familiar with the needs of our residents, we have seen a significant change of behaviour leading to a drop in calls to the police.

“We work closely with other agencies such as the GP, social worker, and learning disability teams to help better support our residents.

“There has been significant improvement in our infection control management ensuring daily cleaning and inspection. We have always invested in quality products to ensure Nayland Lodge is cleaned to a high standard.

“One of the areas that is consistent is that we provide very good care to our residents. We have staff who respect and support our residents and work over and beyond to ensure the needs of our residents are being met.

“Whilst we accept it’s taking time to put good practices and measures in place, it’s important to note we do so without it being a tick box exercise.

“As a service, we wish to ensure all that is required is done properly and well and putting in place good systems, practices, and culture takes time.”