A care home for people struggling with mental illnesses has been told to improve after 'unacceptable' concerns over safety found in its latest CQC report.

The report into Norton Street, published on July 15, received an overall 'requires improvement' rating but managed to secure 'good' on three out of the five sections.

The centre was found to require improvement in how safe and well-led it is but is 'good' in how effective, caring and responsive it is.

Over a period between February 27 and March 28 this year, the Care Quality Commission held an inspection after concerns were raised with them about the leadership and management of Norton Street.

The safety of the centre was called into question after the inspection saw it to be unclean in many ways, with several rooms found with "lots of discarded dirty cups and plates, there was excessive clutter, and waste bins were overflowing".

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It also found that three individuals living in the building required the use of a level access shower but this had not been implemented in the property by the care provider, meaning they had to shower at another property

Norton Street is comprised of multiple properties which can provide accommodation for up to 31 people combined.

The report said that this was 'unacceptable' due to not only mobility issues but the concerns it raises around the person's privacy, dignity, and safety.

Norton Street was also found not to be well-led, with the inspection revealing 'significant gaps' in audit, quality assurance and question of practice.

There had been recent changes in management at the time of the inspection, where three new managers had been appointed since June 2023, but had all resigned within two months of starting the job. 

This meant that the setting was being managed by senior support workers. 

The CQC also noted that Deepdene Care Ltd, which runs Norton Street, had failed to maintain oversight of quality and safety which they say contributed to failures found in the assessment.

Norton Street staff cited a 'disconnect' between themselves and head office, with them saying that head office were 'not approachable and over controlling'.

The report said that the CQC spoke to the operations manager and that they had accepted more work was needed with staff engagement. 

Patients at Norton Street told the inspectors that they felt supported to attend health and social care related appointments but the wider look into the effectiveness of care revealed care plans didn't always reflect the needs of the patient. 

The centre was found to be caring with patients' feedback stating they felt they could be independent in choices and control in their lives. 

Norton Street scored a 'good' in the responsive section, but the report said patients had differing experiences.

Deepdene Care Ltd has been approached for comment.