Care home placed into special measures

A care home near Dover has been placed in special measures after inspectors found "significant and avoidable harm" to residents.

Temple Ewell Nursing Home was rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after an inspection in May found breaches of seven regulations covering care, safeguarding, staffing and leadership.

The watchdog said people with diabetes were not given genuine choices at mealtimes, records were inaccurate and emergency planning was inadequate.

Crownwood Healthcare, which runs the home, said it had taken "decisive action" since the inspection and remained "fully committed to delivering the high-quality care that our residents and their families deserve".

The CQC said the special measures include close monitoring to ensure people are safe while they make improvements.

Inspectors found breaches relating to safe care and treatment, staffing, recruitment, consent, safeguarding, person-centred care and the overall management of the service.

Catriona Eglinton, CQC's deputy director for adult social care in Kent, said: "When we inspected Temple Ewell Nursing Home, we found poor leadership that had allowed significant and avoidable harm to occur, and where people weren't being protected and treated in the way they deserved.

"We've told leaders at Temple Ewell Nursing Home where they must make immediate and significant improvements, and we've placed the service in special measures."

Crownwood Healthcare added: "In early August, an independent three-day mock inspection was conducted, demonstrating that considerable improvements have been made and work continues to embed these improvements."

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