A family-run care home in Prestwich which cares for people living with mental health difficulties remains in "special measures" after its latest inspection.

Fernica Residential Care Home on Kings Road now has an overall rating of "requires improvement" following a visit by healthcare watchdog, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in November last year.

The "focused" inspection on three areas of the site was carried out after a damning inspection last year when it was rated "inadequate" overall and placed into "special measures".

The report, published in January, was given the lowest possible rating of "inadequate" for its leadership, "requires improvement" for its safety and "good" for its responsiveness.

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In its latest report, the CQC said: “Staffing arrangements remained inadequate.

“The registered manager still worked an excessive number of hours and sleep-in duties and the registered manager's oversight of the home remained inadequate.

“Some improvements had been made, staff were safely recruited, infection control procedures followed current government guidance, notifications to the CQC had been made.

"We have identified continued [regulation] breaches in relation to safe staffing arrangements and the registered manager's lack of oversight of the service to ensure good governance at this inspection."

Staffing arrangements were not "robust" and it was reported that the registered manager worked between 76 and 83 hours per week and slept at the home five nights each week.

The report said: “A care worker had been off sick for four months.

“Arrangements had not been made to cover these hours, resulting in the registered manager working most of them.”

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There were "significant shortfalls" in service leadership and a "delivery of high-quality care" was not assured.

The CQC said that the registered manager did not understand their role and responsibilities of that position.

The report added: “A programme of refurbishment was planned at the home, including replacing bathrooms, redecoration and replacing carpets, fire doors and the front door.

“However, these were taking a long time to be started due to issues with contractors and trying to co-ordinate the order the work was completed in.

“While we were told the home were trying to recruit new staff, steps had not been taken in the interim to manage the registered managers hours.

“This left the service at risk if the registered manager was unable to work their planned shifts.”

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However, staff were safely recruited, and they followed PPE guidelines and the home was clean throughout, the report found.

Residents also said that activities such as bingo and film nights had been introduced at the home too.

The two areas of the care home which was not inspected, whether it is effective and caring, previously scored "good".

The report added: “People said they were involved in agreeing and reviewing the support plans.

“Relatives said there was good communication with the home, and they were kept up to date with regards to their relative.

"People told us they were able to go out when they wanted to, and people were able to visit them at the home. Most people went out independently."

But the service remains in "special measures" and the service will be reviewed again in another six months to check for "significant improvements".

The care home, which was looking after 10 people at the time of the CQC visit, was approached for a comment but declined.

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