Birmingham care home told to improve and treat residents 'with respect'

Bromford Lane Care Centre, in Washwood Heath, said it took the findings of the CQC report 'very seriously' and that progress was being made to 'put things right'

A Birmingham care home where patients are 'not always treated with dignity and respect' has been told to improve by inspectors. Bromford Lane Care Centre, managed by Bondcare, was given a 'requires improvement' rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following a recent inspection.

Bromford Lane Care Centre, in Washwood Heath, provides care for up to 116 people living with a range of 'complex needs' including dementia, mental health problems and other physical disabilities. There were 112 people being supported by the service at the time of the CQC inspection in July-August 2024.

According to the CQC report, published recently, the service 'failed to ensure staff had sufficient guidance and knowledge to support some people safely' - although many residents spoke 'positively' about the care they receieved. Bromford Lane Care Centre said it was 'disappointed' with the CQC rating and was taking 'immediate steps' to 'put things right.'

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Following the inspection, CQC inspectors found systems to ensure care was provided 'safely' at Bromford Lane were not always 'robust.' The CQC report reads: "Staff had not always been provided with clear guidance on how to respectfully meet people's individual needs or maintain dignity.

"Staff did not always report incidents or safeguarding concerns in a consistent or timely manner, which meant people were not always cared for in a safe way. The provider failed to ensure people were supported in the least restrictive way to meet their individual needs and wishes.

"They also failed to ensure that support plans did not contain derogatory or labelling terminology and that staff did not describe people using such terminology."

The CQC ruled this was a breach of Regulation 10 (Dignity and respect) of the Health and Social Care Act. However, some patients said they were 'generally happy' with the standard of care from the service.

The report continues: "Most people receiving support and relatives told us they felt their loved ones were safe in the care of the staff team and spoke positively about the staff who supported them. Most people and relatives felt they were kept informed; however, some relatives told us they felt communication could be improved.

"Some relatives told us when they had raised concerns with the registered manager and most felt they had been responded to quickly and were happy with the outcome."

A spokesperson for Bromford Lane has shared the following statement: "At Bromford Lane we strive to provide the highest quality person-centred care to all our residents. Following the most recent inspection, the CQC identified areas of improvement.

"We are disappointed with the ratings scored. The service goes a long way in supporting and working collaboratively with the local community hospitals and social care. We take the findings of the report very seriously and progress has already been made to put things right. The safety and wellbeing of all our residents and staff is our utmost priority and immediate steps were taken during inspection to put things right."