A home caring for people with mental health conditions in Old Trafford where there were three breaches of safety regulations has been graded ‘requires improvement’ by inspectors. 

The Care Quality Commission team carried out the review of Prema Court for three weeks in May and June. Care home bosses say they have already made significant improvements since inspectors visited in May.

The facility at Clifton Court, Ayres Road, run by Deepdene Care Ltd, looks after up to 44 people needing nursing care for disease, disorder or injury living with mental illness.

At the time of the inspection there were 36 people being cared for. The inspection team visited following concerns raised about the ‘safety and presentation’ of people using the service, meals provided and ‘buildings not being suitably maintained’.

“We identified three breaches of regulations with regard to the premises’ safety and maintenance, supporting people to maintain and improve their mental health and the governance of the service,” the CQC report said.

“Risk assessments were not regularly reviewed. Some staff refresher training was out of date.”

It said that residents received their medicines as prescribed, but the systems in place did not enable thorough enough stock checks to be completed.

A new chef had recently been appointed resulting in improvements in meals and snacks available, the report said.

But it went on: “There was a lack of activities for people to be engaged in. Staff did not have much time to interact with people as they were task orientated.

“We observed positive interactions between people and care staff. Governance systems were not used effectively to identify areas for improvement.

“Issues with the buildings maintenance and decor had not been addressed. Staff felt supported by the registered manager, but did not feel the head office was always supportive of the service.”

The report said that immediately after the assessment visit, the CQC requested action was taken and monthly updates provided for the building improvements and governance audits.

“We also liaise with the local authority [Trafford] who had a service improvement plan in place,” it said.

The overall rating was ‘requires improvement’ and it was the same for the sub-categories of safety, effectiveness, caring and leadership. But for responsiveness, it was said to be ‘good’.

Responding to the report, a spokesperson for Deepdene Care said: “The CQC inspection was carried out in May 2024 and since then we have made significant improvements within the service. We have been working closely with the local authorities and are committed to making the necessary improvements to ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements are met.

“Prior to the report being published in August 2024, Deepdene Care wanted an opportunity to respond to some factual inaccuracies within the CQC report. However, we were denied the opportunity to provide this feedback for consideration and therefore have escalated this with CQC in view of their commitment to work in partnership with care providers.

“As a provider, we would welcome CQC to reinspect Prema Court due to the number of positive changes that have been implemented since the last inspection.

“The safety and well-being of our residents is paramount, and our aim is to ensure that Prema Court is not only compliant but delivers person-centred care that meets the goals and needs of those we serve.”