High number of unwitnessed falls at Leeds care home which "requires improvement" in new report

Inspectors "were not always assured that lessons had been learnt from re occurring incidents" at The Hollies on Church Lane, Garforth.

The Hollies is a residential care home providing personal care to people aged 65 and over, some of whom are living with dementia.

At the time of the CQC inspection in June, there was 28 people using the service.

In the CQC report - published on October 7 - it was revealed that one person had three unwitnessed falls in May 2021.

"Leaders and the culture they created did not always support the delivery of high-quality, person-centred care", the report found.

Management must now send reports to the CQC detailing what action they are going to take to improve the home after it was rated as 'Requires Improvement'.

In a statement provided to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Harvey Zemmel – Managing Director of Garforth Care Homes Limited - said he was" disappointed" by the findings of the report.

However, he said he accepted and acknowledged the report and is now working with the CQC to improve performance at the home.

Some aspects of the service at the home "were not always safe" and "there was limited assurance about safety", inspectors said.

There was also an increased risk that people could be harmed according to the report.

One relative of a resident told inspectors they felt staff did not respond to risk appropriately.

In the report, the are quoted: "There has been times my [family member] has fallen and I think [the person] should have been assessed by the doctor but this didn't happen."

The service did not have enough staff to care for people safely, the report found.

Residents were seen to be sleeping in the lounge area during the day.

In the report, inspectors said: "We found the communal lounges unsupervised for periods of time.

"This put people at risk of harm, such as falls or physical altercations between people.

"Staff told us staffing levels were unsafe, one staff said, "There are times when no staff are on the floor so anything could happen".

The service is in the process of recruiting an activity co-ordinator but inspectors found that "limited activities" were organised for residents.

Inspectors did find that there was an "open and positive culture" at the home.

"Staff told us they felt part of a team and were supported by the management team", inspectors said.

Relatives had also provided positive feedback about the service and the outcomes it had achieved with people.

Daily meetings were held with staff to ensure they were updated with any new changes within the home and the home had established good working relationships with health professionals and received compliments from visiting professionals, the report concluded.

In a statement provided to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Harvey Zemmel – Managing Director of Garforth Care Homes Limited - said: "We were disappointed but accept and acknowledge our recent Inspection Report.

"At Garforth Care Homes our aim is to provide the highest standards of care for our residents in line with our company values.

"We are working with CQC to improve our performance so our residents receive quality care."

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