Cowes Care Home Placed Into Special Measures After 'Deeply Concerning' CQC Inspection

A care home in Cowes has been placed into special measures after inspectors uncovered what they described as "deeply concerning" failings affecting the care, safety and wellbeing of residents.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated The Moorings Care Home as Inadequate following an inspection in June – the first since it came under the ownership of Pebblestones Limited.

Inspectors identified 11 breaches of regulations relating to person-centred care, dignity and respect, consent, safe care and treatment, safeguarding, nutrition and hydration, staffing, premises, recruitment, management and the failure to notify the regulator of incidents.

The CQC has also issued two warning notices requiring the home's leadership to make urgent improvements to safeguarding and the delivery of safe care.

The Moorings was rated Inadequate across all five inspection areas – safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

Neil Cox, the CQC's Deputy Director for Adult Social Care in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, said:

"What we found at The Moorings was deeply concerning.

"The issues we identified were widespread and serious, and they mirrored historic failings leaders were already aware of.

"Despite a change of ownership, numerous engagement meetings with CQC, and reports detailing the issues for improvement under the previous owner, leaders hadn't used these resources to provide people living there with the standard of care they deserve."

Among the most serious concerns, inspectors found nine residents were being given food that did not match the texture-modified diets they had been prescribed, placing them at risk of choking.

They also found some residents were not receiving enough fluids.

In one case, records showed a resident had failed to receive adequate hydration on 41 of the 42 days inspectors reviewed. Significant weight loss among some residents was also not being properly monitored.

Inspectors raised concerns over residents' dignity and wellbeing. One resident remained in wet clothing for around 10 minutes after staff had been informed, while another was found asleep in a dining area with clothing exposing them, without staff noticing.

One relative told inspectors they did not feel their loved one was safe and said they would not recommend the home.

The inspection also found residents had very limited opportunities for meaningful activities or social interaction.

Records showed three residents had no recorded social activities over a six-week period, while another had just five minutes of social engagement logged.

Inspectors said the home itself was not being properly maintained.

The building's only bath had reportedly been out of use for several months, despite records indicating baths had continued to be provided.

Only one hoist was working reliably, creating difficulties for staff moving residents safely.

The CQC also found families were not routinely involved in planning or reviewing care, care records were not always updated when residents' needs changed, and staff lacked sufficient knowledge of some serious medical conditions, including epilepsy, diabetes and heart disease.

Concerns were also raised about hygiene, with one bedroom smelling strongly of urine, moving and handling equipment not being cleaned between uses, out-of-date food being stored and bedding not always changed promptly.

Inspectors found conflicting records relating to residents' end-of-life wishes, creating a risk that staff may not follow their preferences in an emergency.

The report also highlighted concerns over the home's leadership, with inspectors finding evidence of a blame culture that could discourage staff from raising concerns about standards of care.

As a result of the findings, The Moorings has been placed into special measures, meaning it will be closely monitored by the CQC while improvements are made.

The regulator says services placed into special measures are given a structured timeframe to address failings, with further enforcement action possible if sufficient progress is not made.

The full inspection report is due to be published on the CQC website on Wednesday.