Inspectors have ordered a care home to improve after they found “there was an increased risk that people could be harmed” since their last visit.

The warning comes after the Care Quality Commission inspected Heron House in Sweechbridge Road, Herne Bay , after concerns surrounding risks to residents were flagged with the watchdog.

A damning report released by the government body reveals it found that one of the home’s clients “came to harm” four times between December 2019 and February of this year.

It also says staff working at the service – which supports young adults with learning disabilities – did not conduct recommended 30-minute checks after the incidents took place.

The report reads: “The person’s risk assessment detailed they should have 30-minute checks to ‘reduce the likelihood of risks occurring’.

“Staff were unaware of the frequency with which checks should take place.

“Daily notes evidenced 30-minute checks were not completed on the day of incidents, or the days that followed, placing the person at further risk.

“The provider was not implementing and embedding improvements and learning from incidents that occurred.

"Some aspects of the service were not always safe and there was limited assurance about safety. There was an increased risk that people could be harmed."

Inspectors say accident reports were not reviewed by the provider to make improvements to the service.

They also note that an insufficient number of carers had necessary training. Bosses from the home are understood to have booked their staff in for training following the inspectors’ latest visit in August.

“People, relatives and staff told us it had been ‘difficult’ and ‘stressful’ at the service with the many changes in staffing,” the inspectors add.

"Daily notes evidenced 30-minute checks were not completed on the day of incidents, or the days that followed, placing the person at further risk..."

“A relative told us, ‘We were not introduced to any of the managers except the most recent. [My loved one] feels they are not respected enough to tell them about changes.’”

However, the report did find that people’s medicines were managed safely, the home was clean, and that people and their relatives felt safe living at the service.

Heron House was also rated “good” in three of the five categories it was assessed for.

The report also details how relative and staff felt there was a “negative culture” at the service due to the turnover of workers.

Optima Care, the company running the home, was unavailable for comment.

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