CQC's issues with Little Manor Care Centre were 'factually inaccurate'

Little Manor Care Centre, on Manor Farm Road, was visited by the Care Quality Commission in June last year.

The inspector, whose report was published on February 5, 2024, found the care centre's safety and leadership 'requires improvement'.

They stated that medicine care plans did not always have enough detail to ensure people were receiving effective and safe support.

Also, systems to check for legionella were not detailed and audits were not completed to identify this.

In a joint statement, directors of Wessex Care, who own Little Manor, said they addressed all of the issues and are expecting an early reinspection under the new regulatory framework which comes into force in April.

"The regulator also accepted that some issues were factually inaccurate and incorrect," they added.

While staff were recruited safely, they were not always receiving regular supervisions to support their development, the inspector noted.

Little Manor was last rated 'good' in 2016 but closed for redevelopment from November 2018 until November 2020.

The home provides short term aid to people being discharged from hospital who require more support before returning home or moving to a long-term care home. It averages 15 referrals weekly.

Wessex Care has welcomed a follow on inspection Wiltshire Council's Quality Team which they said identified all matters had been addressed.

The directors said: "The service and all its very dedicated professionals from across the agencies and disciplines continue to strive for the best standards of rehabilitation care.

"We will always work to learn, improve and remain transparent with the operation of the service."

Little Manor's 2023 inspection was prompted by a review of the information it held about the service. It was a focused inspection which only reviewed whether the care home was safe and well-led.

Shortly after the inspection, in October 2023, a spokesperson for Wessex Care told the Journal they believed the CQC misunderstood how the service works.

Read more: Care home 'disappointed' with rating and thinks inspectors misunderstood how it works

The CQC inspector said: "We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety.

"We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect."

The CQC was approached and asked to comment on the claims made by Wessex Care.

To view Little Manor Care Centre's full CQC report visit cqc.org.uk/location/1-133525177.