Care home near Horsham is told by regulators that it must improve

Rapkyns Nursing Home in Broadbridge Heath - which looks after people with learning and physical disabilities - was inspected by the Care Quality Commission in February, and in a report just out, has been rated as ‘requiring improvement.’

Rapkyns is run by Sussex Health Care which is currently at the centre of a police investigation following the deaths of 13 people at nine of its homes .

Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission said in their report that the main building at Rapkyns was empty on their inspection and a smaller building known as Sycamore Lodge had just six residents.

But, the inspectors said: “Some areas of support were not consistently safe” at Sycamore Lodge, and “not all risks were managed safely.”

“Some people were at risk of dehydration and required their fluid levels to be monitored; we found this was not being done effectively.”

They also found that care plans “were not always consistent and personalised.”

However, the commission rated the care home ‘good’ for caring, although overall it ‘required improvement.’

The inspectors said staff were trained to carry out their roles and had regular and effective supervision from their manager.

At its previous inspection, the care home was rated ‘inadequate’ but it has now been taken out of special measures because of improvements although it had been found to still be in breach of regulations.

A spokesman for Sussex Health Care said: “We are pleased to receive another improved rating from the CQC for one of our homes. This report makes reference to our residents being treated with dignity in a sensitive, kind and caring way in a building designed to meet people’s needs. Our teams approach resulted in a good rating in this area.

“This report marks the fourth improved CQC rating in recent months across Sussexc Health Care reflecting the increased investment and ongoing drive to further enhance standards across all our services.

“Like all good quality care providers, we strive to improve all the time, and we will continue to do so.

“We would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank all the staff at the home for their incredible efforts during what has been a difficult time as a result of the COVID-19 crisis – they have all excelled and met this challenge head on.”

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