Morley Manor: Leeds care home rated 'inadequate' as CQC report finds ‘no effective leadership' putting residents at risk

Morley Manor on Brunswick Street was given the rating following an inspection in April by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which found that there was “no effective leadership”.

Various safety concerns were also raised, with the report saying that staff “failed to supervise people who were at risk of choking” and that in some cases residents were not given their medicines safely.

The owner of the family-run residential home responded saying that there was an issue with management at the time of the inspection and that a new manager has been employed who they hope will “turn things around”.

The most recent CQC inspection was carried out after another report was published last September that also resulted in the care home being rated as “inadequate”.

There was 22 residents in the home at the time of the two-day inspection in April.

In the overall summary, the report reads: “There was no effective leadership or oversight in place to monitor the quality of care delivered. The providers action plan did not support improvements at the service. Quality assurance systems had failed to identify the areas of concern we highlighted during our inspection around management of medicines, recruitment and provision of safe care.

"Medicines were not always administered safely as prescribed. The provider had not always followed their medicines management policy to ensure staff administering medicines were competent. People's risks were not always effectively managed. Risk assessments and guidance in place for people at risk of choking was not always followed by staff. Staff deployment was not effective to ensure people's needs were met in a timely way.”

The findings were not all negative though, with the report stating that people were “supported to make decisions about their care” and that “care plans were reviewed regularly to ensure accurate records of people's care was maintained”.

It also states that relatives were involved in the care and were “were positive about the care their loved ones received”. It also states that staff interactions with people were “positive and respectful” and that residents were supported “to have maximum choice and control of their lives”.

The CQC says that it found breaches in relation to medicines, risk management, staffing, recruitment and good governance and that it has requested action to be taken. It said that the provider will remain in “special measures” and that a re-inspection will be carried out in the next six months.

The care home’s owner, Shabir Ahmed, said that the site lost its manager last year and that a member of staff was promoted to the position at the time of the inspection but “it didn’t work”. He said: “We asked her to leave in March so we didn’t have any management at the time of the inspection.

"We now have a new manager in place and an action plan and are committed to turning things around. The residents’ safety and wellbeing is our priority.”

The new manager, Rambir Johal, started in her position this week and has 25 years of experience in the field. She said: “It’s going to take a bit of time but we will be on the right track.”