The Old Rectory Nursing Home responds to CQC's safety concerns

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has said that it is satisfied that Southern Healthcare (Wessex) Ltd has made the urgent improvements that were required at The Old Rectory Nursing Home in Exeter.

Inspectors who made an unannounced visit to the home in Tiverton Road, Exeter, in August, found that its systems for the management of medicines now complied with the essential standards of quality and safety.

The visit followed concerns which had been raised during two previous inspections. In July 2011 the CQC issued a formal warning to Southern Healthcare (Wessex) Ltd, stating that it must make urgent improvements to the management of medicines or face further action.

Inspectors said that some individuals cared for by this Nursing Home were at risk of choking because records did not clearly state that they should not have their medicines given by mouth. Medicine records were not always sufficiently clear to show that people were receiving their medicines as they were prescribed by a doctor.

The home had not carried out audits of their medicines since the CQC inspected in January 2011, and the system for managing medicines was not robust enough to identify where errors had occurred.

Ian Biggs, Regional Director of CQC in the South West, said that inspectors had now found there had been a significant improvement to safety of the residents.

He said: "The law says that these are the standards that everyone should be able to expect. Providers have a duty to ensure they are compliant.

“On our earlier inspection, it was a matter of some concern that The Old Rectory was in breach of the regulations on the management of medicines.

“Our latest inspection has shown a real improvement. The onus is now on the provider to ensure that this continues. We will monitor the home to ensure these improvements are sustained and will not hesitate to take action if it becomes necessary."

If you need to register your health or social care organisation, or if you need support ensuring the ongoing compliance with CQC standards, then speak to one of our CQC experts today.

Chichester care provider terminates services following CQC identified concerns

The CQC released the following press release yesterday relating to a care provider in Chichester:

Following a recent inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), inspectors found the care provided was falling far short of the essential standards of quality and safety people should be able to expect.

Caring for You (Chichester) Ltd is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care, support and assistance to people in their own homes. It provides services to people living in the Chichester, Arundel and surrounding area from the office base in the city centre.

Following a series of visits to Caring for You (Chichester) Ltd, CQC inspectors told the provider they judged people using the service to be at risk and would take urgent action to protect them as a result. In response, Caring for You (Chichester) Ltd agreed to voluntary cancellation of its registration. CQC registration is the legal licence for all health and social care providers to operate.

Alternative care was arranged for funded service users before the service closed and CQC worked closely with the local authority throughout the closure. West Sussex County Council assumed responsibility for all the people using the service - both local authority funded and private - and made arrangements to transfer care to another provider with minimal disruption.

CQC found Caring for You (Chichester) Ltd was not compliant with any of the essential standards of quality and safety and there were 10 major concerns.

Inspectors reported a range of concerns including staff lacking skills and experience, low staffing levels, poor documentation and peoples’ complaints not being recorded or resolved. The major concerns included:

Co-operating with other providers

Inspectors heard staff give a falsely positive report of improvements being made to professionals from the safeguarding team and the commissioning team at West Sussex County Council. This put people at risk because the agencies responsible for scrutiny of the service and funding of placements could not monitor the care given without accurate information.

Safeguarding people

There were documents relating to possible theft of large sums of money from people who use the service and instances where care documents were falsified. These had not been fully investigated or followed up and the final outcome had not been properly recorded. Although there was evidence of some disciplinary action being initiated, there was no evidence of a proper investigation and rationale for action.

Management of medicines

There were two complaints relating to evening medication being either missed or given too early as care staff made their last visit at 4-4.30 pm. CQC inspectors had major concerns about the level of medication errors and the lack of proper staff training. People were also not provided with assistance to take their medicines safely.

Roxy Boyce, Regional Director of CQC in the South East said: “The service provided by Caring for You (Chichester) Ltd has fallen far short of the standards people have a right to expect. This is very disturbing when you consider that many of those affected are frail and vulnerable people.

“CQC found clear evidence that the provider was not maintaining essential standards of quality and safety, meaning that people were exposed to significant risk of harm. Working with the local authority, we have now ensured the appropriate action has been taken to ensure that people are protected.

“The law says these are the standards that everyone should be able to expect when they receive care. Providers have a duty to ensure they are compliant – or face the consequences.”

If you need help demonstrating compliance with the CQC essential standards then give the Words Worth Reading Ltd team a call.

DATAPAC to create new jobs in Cork

The Technology firm Datapac has announced the creation of 20 jobs with the opening of a new office in Cork.

The roles, which will be created over the next 12 to 18 months at the facility in Ballincollig, are primarily in business development and technical support.

The company Datapac provides IT services to businesses including Boylesports and GlaxoSmithKline and currently employs 150 people in Ireland. The organisation has said that new partnership agreements with technology giants HP and EMC will help it expand its operations in response to growing demand.

The company’s general manager David Ward said the new facility “is a key strategic move for Datapac as we look to develop our business further in Cork and throughout the region. We are delighted to be creating these new jobs and opportunities in the technology sector in Cork.”

Country manager for EMC, Jason Ward, said: “We greatly value the experience and expertise Datapac has built up over the past 30 years. Its continued expansion through the opening of a Cork office to support the business, provides a great opportunity for us.”

Need help with application forms, resumes, cover letters or interview prep? Check out the Words Worth Reading Ltd website to see how we can help.

James Paget Hospital continues to fail nutrition standards

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) yesterday released a press release stating that it has issued a formal warning to James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust which says that it must make urgent improvements to standards of care.

The CQC first identified concerns about how the trust meets the nutritional needs of those in its care in April this year.

CQC inspectors, along with a practicing nurse and an ‘expert by experience’ made unannounced inspections to 100 NHS hospitals to check whether elderly people were treated with dignity and respect, and were receiving food and drink that met their needs.

At this time, CQC found that James Paget Hospital was not meeting essential standards of care in relation to dignity or nutrition, and told the trust it must make improvements.

The trust submitted an action plan to CQC detailing what changes it intended to make. However when CQC inspectors returned earlier this month they found standards of nutrition were still falling short of what people should be able to expect.

CQC has now issued a warning notice which demands that the trust make urgent improvements.

Frances Carey, regional director for CQC in the East of England, said: "We were very disappointed that when our inspectors returned to James Paget Hospital they did not see enough improvement in relation to the food and drink people receive. Proper nutrition and hydration is an important part of recovery, especially for elderly people.

"We will be making another unannounced visit to the hospital shortly and, when we do, we will expect the trust to be able to demonstrate it has made significant improvements.

"If we find the required progress has still not been made, we won’t hesitate to use our legal powers to protect the people who use this service.

"We have a range of enforcement powers which can be used, including prosecution, closure, or restriction of services."

Following the most recent visit to the hospital, inspectors found while there were some signs of improvement, further work was needed.

Inspectors found people were provided with a choice of nutritious food and hydration and that staff were generally kind and supportive. But the food was still not always suitable to meet the individual’s needs and people still did not always receive the support they required to maintain a good dietary and fluid intake.

Frances Carey added: "The law says that these are the standards that everyone should be able to expect. Providers have a duty to ensure they are compliant.

"This warning sends a clear and public message that James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust needs to address this issue as a matter of urgency or face serious consequences."

Need help ensuring that your care establishment is CQC compliant or CQC registered? Speak to one of our CQC experts today

What subjects are university students choosing to study?

The Guardian Online published a report today (26th September 2011), stating that according to the latest Higher Education Statistics Agency HESA, more UK students than ever before are going to university.

Over 500,000 students started university in 2009/10 with the number of first time degree students increasing steadily year on year since 2006/07. UCAS saw a 8.7% increase in student applications from the previous year.

With increased tuition fees due to be in place in 2012/13, it's not clear if the rise in applications will continue at the same rate.

Despite the increase in UCAS applications, acceptances and the number of first time full degree students increasing, those starting part-time Higher Education (HE) courses dropped in 2009/10 by -2.7%.

Mathematical sciences recorded the biggest percentage increase on the previous year as 26,225 students opted for the subject in 2009/10. This represents a 26.3% increase on the 2005/06 figure.

Business & administrative studies, mass communication & documentation and engineering & technology saw the biggest rises after mathematical sciences for full-time undergraduate students. For post-graduates, both architecture, building & planning and mass communications & documentation reported over 20% increases in subject selection.

The number of part-time staff at HE institutions increased by 3.4% whereas full-time staff increased by a slight 0.4%. Part-time staff has increased hugely since 2005/06 - there has been a near 20% rise, whereas full-time staff have increased by a mere 5.8% over the same period.

New London book and art festival

From Writers Online.co.uk

Jacqueline Wilson, Mackenzie Crook, Michael Morpurgo and Francesca Simon are among the guests at the inaugural Word Up festival in Dulwich, 22-24 October.

The celebration of children's literature promises to appeal to readers aged five upwards, with workshops, free activities and performances.

The Office star Mackenzie Crook will be launching his debut novel, about animalistic fairies being driven to extinction, The Windvale Sprites, Francesca Simon will reveal her latest venture, after Horrid Henry, and Michael Morpurgo will discuss War Horse with Clare Balding.

Other writers appearing include Meg Rosoff, Judith Kerr, Tim Bowler, Penelope Lively, John Hegley, Andy Stanton and Philip Ardagh.

Interested in writing? Visit our website to see how the Words Worth Reading Ltd team could help you pursue your literary ambition

The end of an era...Blue Peter annual scrapped

The Blue Peter annual, which first came out in 1965, will not be published because of plummeting sales figures.

The 2012 Blue Peter annual wasn't seen by retailers as being strong enough to make it into the top 25, out of around 200 competitors, to get mass distribution.

The sales figures for the 2011 annual were just 13,140. The Beano was the bestsellling annual of 2011, with 201,277 sales. The 2011 Doctorr Who annual sold 140,044 copies, and the Peppa Pig annual sold 133,651.

Ratings for the BBC TV show have also been in decline, dropping to less than 100,000 viewers.

Could this be the end of Blue Peter? No more, 'Here's one I prepared eariler'? Well, that really would be the end of an era.

Interested in writing? Take a look at our writer services to see how we could support your literary quest.

Birmingham Mental Health Hospital fails essential standards

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has today released a press release about Birmingham mental health hospital; which states that the hospital has been told that it must improve or face enforcement action.

"Woodbourne Priory in Woodbourne Road, Edgbaston, provides inpatient care for adults and young people with mental health needs and problems with substance misuse.

CQC carried out an unannounced inspection at the hospital’s Mulberry Unit on 8 August following concerns raised by the Mental Health Act Commissioner and West Midlands Specialised Commissioning.

CQC inspectors then identified major concerns with the two essential standards of quality and safety mentioned below.

• The care and welfare of people.
• Safeguarding people using the service from abuse.

Andrea Gordon, CQC Regional Director for the West Midlands and East Midlands said: “During our unannounced inspection at the start of August, we identified unacceptable failings at the Mulberry Unit and demanded that Priory Healthcare Limited make improvements.

“Patients at this unit are vulnerable young people with complex needs - the CQC is working closely with our partner agencies, including West Midlands Specialised Commissioning, to ensure that the safety and welfare of these people is protected.

"Since our inspection in August, we have made two further visits to inspect the care provided by Woodbourne Priory as a whole.

"We have received an action plan from Priory Healthcare Limited detailing the improvements they intend to make at the Mulberry Unit and we will be making further unannounced visits to the hospital to check on their progress with this.

"If we are not confident that this provider has demonstrated rapid and sustainable improvements, we will consider enforcement action. The kind of action CQC can take includes prosecution, closure, or restriction of services."

During the visit to the Mulberry Unit, inspectors found care plans and risk assessments for people did not contain sufficient information for staff to fully understand the needs of those in their care or provide effective care and treatment.

In those cases where people were given medication as and when this was required (as opposed to drugs given at regular times) there was no clear guidance to ensure staff knew when this should be administered.

There were no appropriate guidelines on the use of restraint and in some cases staff did not know how to manage the behaviours of people in their care to ensure the safety or wellbeing of all patients.

Staff also told inspectors they had not received training in relation to care planning and others said they had not been given safeguarding or mental capacity training.

As a result of the serious concerns raised by CQC, the provider has voluntarily decided not to admit any further patients detained under the Mental Health Act until standards have improved.

The findings of the wider inspection, which took place at the end of August, will be published shortly. This will include CQC’s assessment of information including training records supplied by the provider.

In the meantime, CQC is constantly monitoring this service and will be meeting with the provider to check on progress in relation to the improvements that are needed. "

Need support with CQC registration and / or compliance? Speak to one of our advisors today.

NHS Boards provided with guidance on Information Governance

The NHS Chief Executive, in his communications to NHS Chief Executives, has made it clear that the ultimate responsibility for information governance in the NHS rests with the Board of each organisation. This guidance sets out details about those responsibilities, and the questions that Board members should ask to assure themselves that information is effectively and appropriately used in their organisation.

The full set of guidance notes can be downloaded from this web address: https://www.igt.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk

Borders staff member gets final say

The Borders book chain closed for good in the US last weekend, and one disgruntled employee posted a kiss-off letter to the store's customers to mark the occasion.

Posted anonymously in the window of an un-named store, the letter, titled Things We Never Told You: Ode to a Bookstore Death included the following statements:

* We hate when a book becomes popular simply because it was turned into a movie.
* Your summer reading list was our summer reading NIGHTMARE.
* We always knew when you were intently reading Better Homes and Gardens, it was really a hidden Playboy.
* We were never a daycare. Letting your kids run free and destroy our kids section destroyed a piece of our souls.
* Oprah was not the 'final say' on what is awesome. We really didn't care what was on her show or what her latest book club book was. Really.

Blimey!

CQC warns Stanwell Rest Home about the quality of service delivery

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has issued a formal warning to Stanwell Rest Home Limited in Southampton, stating that it must make urgent improvements to the standards of care or face further enforcement action.

Stanwell Rest Home provides personal care and accommodation for up to 34 people.

Inspectors found that the provider was failing to ensure that all parts of the premises were kept clean and maintained in good physical repair and condition. The provider also failed to ensure that there were effective arrangements for the appropriate cleaning and decontamination of equipment. People were not protected from acquiring a health care associated infection.

The warning notice issued by CQC requires Stanwell Rest Home to plan and deliver care to meet individual needs by 21 September 2011. A failure to do this may result in further action being taken to secure compliance.

Roxy Boyce, Regional Director of CQC in the South East said: “All services must meet essential standards of care and we will take action where services are failing people. This warning notice sends a clear and public message that Stanwell Rest Home needs to address these issues as a matter of urgency or face serious consequences.

“Our inspectors will return to Stanwell Rest Home shortly and if we find that the provider is not making the required progress we won’t hesitate to use our legal powers on behalf of the people who live there."

Need help meeting the CQC safety and welfare standards? Speak to one of our CQC experts today.

Precious Homes Limited failing to meet patient safety and welfare needs

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has issued a formal warning to Precious Homes Limited, stating that it must make urgent improvements to standards of care or face further action.

The warning follows an unannounced visit by inspectors to Vela Domus in London E16. This is a supported living project where staff are supplied by Precious Homes Limited to aid individuals living in their own flats with their personal care needs.

Inspectors found that people who use these services had not been given their prescribed doses of medication, that staff had not signed for medication they gave, that the controlled drugs register was inaccurate and that no action had been taken as a result of internal audits.

Colin Hough, Regional Director of CQC in London said: "The law says that these are the standards that everyone should be able to expect. Providers have a duty to ensure they are compliant.

“This warning sends a clear and public message that Precious Homes Limited needs to address this issue as a matter of urgency or face serious consequences.

“Our inspectors will return in the near future and if we find that it the company is not making the required progress we won’t hesitate to use our legal powers to protect the people who use this service.”

Need to ensure you're care home or health / social care service is CQC compliant? Speak to one of our CQC experts today.

Lighthouse festival is Woolf themed!

The 'To the Lighthouse festival', which takes place in Cambridgeshire between 24 September and 8 October, is themed around Virginia Woolf's classic 1927 modernist novel entitled...To the Lighthouse!

Events include film screenings, walking tours, talks and play performances, and a series of workshops inspired by various aspects of Virginia Woolf and her work.

The first weekend of the festival features workshops Unlocking the Writer (24 September), held by Claire Nicholson and Rachel Watson, which takes Woolf's short stories as inspiration for stimulating the imagination and creating fictional characters, and Jo Browning Wroe's An Ordinary Life (25 September), taking an ordinary mind on an ordinary day as the starting point for a creative process.

A full festival programme is available on the website: http://tothelighthousecambridgeshire.co.uk

Short story Tweetathon continues to be a success

Launching on the14th September 2011, The Society of Authors Short Story Tweetathon is a first-time collaboration between tweeters and top authors to write a number of short stories in five tweets.

The Tweetathon commenced on the 14th September at 11am on #WriterWednesday. One story each week will be written for five consecutive weeks, with a new line tweeted every hour on the hour between 11am and 4pm. A leading author will tweet a first line, and tweeters following the Society of Authors (SoA) are invited to complete the next four sentences. Tweets will be curated and each winning story will be published on the SoA website.

The Short Story Tweetathon is part of the SoA's short story in campaign in response to BBC R4's short story cuts.

Need help with your short story writing? Take a look at the Words Worth Reading Ltd website to see how we can help.

Coca-Cola jobs announced in Ireland

On Friday 16th September 2011 Coca-Cola officially opened its new manufacturing and innovation plant in Wexford, Ireland, which will employ 100 people. 65 workers have already been recruited.

As reported by RTE, Coca-Cola also announced on Friday that it will be expanding its global business shared services organisation in Drogheda, Co Louth. This includes recent investment in new offices and the creation of up to 100 new positions - 40 of these have already been filled in recent weeks. The Drogheda plant currently employs over 200 people.

Muhtar Kent, the chairman and chief executive of Coca-Cola, stated that 'our continued investments in Wexford, Drogheda and throughout Ireland will ensure we sustain and enhance our growth globally in the coming years.'

The new Wexford plant, which became fully operational this year, includes manufacturing, laboratory and pilot plant facilities to allow process development and product commercialisation.

Need help with your job application, resume / CV, or interview skills? Take a look at the full range of Words Worth Reading Ltd's job seeker support services.

CQC release 3rd State of Care report

On the 15th September 2011 the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published their third annual report into the state of health and adult social care in England.

This report covers the period April 2010 to the end of March 2011and is the first version of the report in which the CQC have used evidence obtained under their new system of regulation.

The chair of the Care Quality Commission, Dame Jo Williams, said: “While it will be a further year before we can present a complete picture of the state of regulated care in England, this year’s report provides a valuable picture of people’s experiences of access to care services, the choice and control that they have when using services, and the quality of the care that is provided.”

The report is divided into four main sections:

• The shape of health and social care provision
• Access to care services
• Choice and control
• Quality and safety

It also includes case studies looking at how improvements in standards have been made by services and how the CQC's regulatory work has helped drive these improvements. The full report can be downloaded from the CQC website; www.cqc.org.uk

New jobs announced in Nursing Home in Dublin

RTE has announced that up to 130 jobs are to created with the opening of a new nursing home in Dublin later this September 2011.

The Cara Care Centre in Northwood Park in Santry is recruiting for a range of positions, including nurses, care assistants, receptionists, kitchen and housekeeping for its 103 bed facility.

The TLC group already employs more than 350 people in nursing homes in Straffan, Co Kildare, and CityWest in Dublin. The company also has plans for new homes in Blanchardstown and Killiney.

Need a hand with your application form, CV or resume? Check out our job seeker services.

North Devon District told to improve wound care

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has told Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust that it must improve its systems for managing woundcare and for dealing with patients who are at risk of developing pressure sores.

The CQC issued a press release on the 25th August, stating that inspectors who had recently visited North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple found that care plans and other patient records were not always completed. While they did not find individual cases of poor care, they did find a failure to fully assess and plan all aspects of patient care which could mean that some people might not get the care they needed.

The inspection process looked at areas of possible concerns relating to patient care which are currently being investigated through safeguarding procedures involving NHS Devon, Devon County Council, Devon and Cornwall police and the CQC.

The inspection focused on the hospital's current compliance in four related areas.

• How pressure area care is managed.
• How well the hospital works with patients with complex needs or with communications difficulties
• Consent and assessing mental capacity for patients.
• Meeting nutritional and hydration needs.

Inspectors spent three days at the hospital in July, meeting patients and staff, checking records and visiting medical and surgical wards. They found that the trust was compliant with three of the four standards which were reviewed. These three standards were (1) respecting and involving people, (2) consent to care and treatment, and (3) meeting nutritional needs. However the hospital was not found to be compliant with the standard on the care and welfare of patients.

Inspectors found examples where patients' care plans, wound care plans and pressure area assessments were not recorded properly. They found eight examples of wound care plans where the records were unclear about when treatment started or whether improvements were being properly monitored. Inspectors concluded that people were at risk of receiving inappropriate care because care plans and monitoring records were incomplete. Failure to fully assess and plan the delivery of all aspects of care and treatment meant that their needs might not be met properly.

Ian Biggs, Regional Director of CQC in the South West said that the trust must now provide its plans to show how it will achieve full compliance.

He said: "In a busy hospital, good patient records are essential. Doctors and nurses depend on them to ensure that their patients are getting the right care throughout the day and night, when shifts change and different staff come on duty or take over responsibility for a particular person’s care.

"Patients we met on the wards had no complaints about their care, although we have identified some key areas of concern, mainly around pressure damage and wound care, where lack of assessment and care planning could place people at risk.

"When we raised the issue of records at North Devon Hospital earlier in the year, the trust gave us a detailed action plan which included some key changes to the documentation being used to ensure good care and treatment. They told us they would be fully compliant by the end of September.

“We are satisfied that the trust is already taking action. If we had any further concerns for people’s safety, we would take action straight away. In the meantime we will continue to monitor the hospital – and we will check to see that all the improvements have been made in further unannounced inspections.”

Need help ensuring your healthcare organisation is compliant with the CQC standards of care? Speak to one of the Words Worth Reading Ltd experts to see how we can help.

Poet Laureate - Text Messages Hone Poetry Skills

Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy has announced that she wants to bring literature to new audiences, and argues that children who use text messaging and social networks are honing their poetry skills.

She told the Manchester Evening News that “Poems are the original text messages in that they use language in a very concise way and I think they will become more relevant in this century than in the last century."

She went on to state that "We are reading less now than we did and a lot of young people spend a lot of time in front of a computer on Facebook or tweeting. So the poem is the literary form that is the most accessible simply because of its brevity."

Duffy, however, is very much in the business of writing her poetry with "pen and notebook". She remains a big supporter of libraries, and despite taking on her royal appointment in 2009 has continued to campaign against their closure.

In fact, the current Poet Laureate reckons that it's "part of the job" to attack plans to close libraries as part of wider efforts to cut government spending.

"I don't think of myself as an establishment figure. I just think of myself as a poet representing poetry," she said.

Glasgow-born Duffy teaches creative writing to students at Manchester Metropolitan University. She is the first female Poet Laureate since the royal post was created by King Charles II in 1668.

If you need help with your creative writing why not contact one of our editors today?

Palin Manuscript Leak - Lawsuit Being Considered

One of the three co-authors of a Sarah Palin tell-all is reportedly weighing up his options regarding the unauthorised leak of the book's manuscript, with one of his options being whether to commence legal action.

Ken Morris said he spent tens of thousands of dollars on attorneys to try to fight the leak, which was more than he made from "Blind Allegiance to Sarah Palin: A Memoir of Our Tumultuous Years."

The book by former Palin aide Frank Bailey was also written with blogger Jeanne Devon. The book was eventually published in May although Morris and Devon have said they struggled to find a publisher.

Rival author Joe McGinniss was accused of helping leak the manuscript in February. McGinniss' attorney Dennis Holahan has acknowledged that McGinniss sent a copy to media outlets and others but said he told them not to reproduce any of it without the authors' permission.

Morris has stated in an interview that he believes tens of thousands of copies of the draft manuscript were downloaded after the leak and said the manuscript became "one of the most Googled stories" in the world. He said he hired attorneys and cease-and-desist orders went to publications and file-share sites.

Morris, a former Wall Street executive, said he was the only one of his co-authors who had the financial resources to hire attorneys.

For editorial assistance with your manuscript, contact one of our team today

Warrington Based Care Home Issued Three Formal Warnings

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has issued three formal warnings to Mrs Adi Oseni, the registered provider at Hollybush Care Home, that she must make urgent improvements to standards of care or face further action.

The warnings follow an unannounced visit by CQC inspectors to the Hollybush Care Home, Warrington in July. Mrs Adi Oseni is the owner and registered provider of services at the home.

CQC undertook the inspection on 25 July as part of a responsive review of compliance to see if improvements had been made since the last inspection in May when we found concerns about the home.

Inspectors found that Mrs Oseni was failing to meet the essential standards of quality and safety in a number of areas, with the outcome of that failing being unsafe care for the home's service users.

Sue McMillan, Regional Director of CQC in the North West region said:

"The care being provided at this care home is nowhere near good enough and hasn’t been for some considerable time. The law says that these are the standards that everyone should be able to expect. Registered providers have a duty to ensure they are compliant.

“This warning sends a clear and public message that Mrs Oseni needs to address these issues as a matter of urgency or face serious consequences.

“Over the last few months the CQC has been working with Warrington Borough Council’s adult social care team. The CQC and the council have had concerns about the home for several months and have been working in partnership with the home owner and management team to address issues during that time.

“It is the view of the council that insufficient progress has been made in addressing the issues at Hollybush Care Home and consequently the council is identifying suitable new homes for the residents who are living at the home. CQC will continue to monitor the service to ensure that people are safe.

“Clearly there are systemic problems at the home,” continues Sue McMillan. “When CQC inspectors discovered that service users had not been given prescribed medicines for up to a period of five days, one has to question the organisation and quality of care being administered.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and support the council in its efforts to provide better outcomes for residents. I would like to place on the record my thanks to Warrington Borough Council for the support they provided to my inspectors. CQC will continue to share information under our safeguarding arrangements to ensure that any action taken is timely and proportionate.”

For help with your CQC registration contact one of our CQC experts today

43% of Interns Unpaid

Nearly half of all internships undertaken by university students are unpaid, according to latest figures.

A survey by the university careers agency Graduate Prospects asked 22,000 UK graduates between 2006 and 2010 if they did any work experience while studying for their degree. More than 70% reported they had secured some form of experience, often by taking on casual paid work. Others did unpaid voluntary work or secured an internship. Of the internships undertaken 43% were not paid.

Chief executive of Graduate Prospects Mike Hill said: "Despite the hype around unpaid work experience placements over the last few years, we can see from the study that a huge proportion of interns still have to work for free."

Earlier this year the TUC, backed by the government and several major employers' institutes, published the first code of best practice for high-quality internships. It states that companies offering a placement of six weeks or more should pay the national minimum wage (NMW) – currently £5.93 for those aged 21 and over and £4.92 for 18-20s – to an intern if they are contributing to a company, have a list of duties and are working set hours.

However, NMW legislation does not cover internships undertaken by those in full-time education, offering a convenient legal loophole for employers seeking to take advantage of unpaid student labour.

The Prospects survey also showed that nearly a third of students found their internships through family or friend networks – almost as many as those who secured placements through their university careers services.

The issue divided prime minister David Cameron and his coalition deputy Nick Clegg earlier this year, with the Lib Dem leader arguing that the practice of giving work experience to personal acquaintances is a bar to social mobility.

Separate figures released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency showed that 28% of graduates who left university in 2007 were still not in full-time work three-and-a-half years later.

If you need help with your CV or intern applications contact one of our team today

The CQC want to know what you think...

The CQC have just launched an on-line survey for users of their website to provide them with constructive feedback.

The Care Quality Commission is the body responsible for regulating Health and Social Care Providers in England. Their administrative systems have recently experienced an overhaul in an attempt to improve efficiency, and they are now turning their attention to their website. The CQC intend to use the survey responses to inform improvements to their website's functionality and usability.

To take part in the survey click here

For CQC Consultancy Support speak to one of our CQC experts

CQC report on North Devon Healthcare NHS Trust

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has told Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust that it must improve its systems for managing woundcare and for dealing with patients who are at risk of developing pressure sores.

Inspectors who visited North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple found that care plans and other patient records were not always completed. While they did not find individual cases of poor care, they did find a failure to fully assess and plan all aspects of patient care which could mean that some people might not get the care they needed.

The report of that inspection is published today.

The inspection process looked at areas of possible concerns relating to patient care which are currently being investigated through safeguarding procedures involving NHS Devon, Devon County Council, Devon and Cornwall police and the CQC.

The inspection focused on the hospital's current compliance in four related areas.

• How pressure area care is managed.
• How well the hospital works with patients with complex needs or with communications difficulties
• Consent and assessing mental capacity for patients.
• Meeting nutritional and hydration needs.

Inspectors spent three days at the hospital in July, meeting patients and staff, checking records and visiting medical and surgical wards. They found that the trust was compliant with three of the four standards which were reviewed.

Ian Biggs, Regional Director of CQC in the South West said that the trust must now provide its plans to show how it will achieve full compliance.

He said: "In a busy hospital, good patient records are essential. Doctors and nurses depend on them to ensure that their patients are getting the right care throughout the day and night, when shifts change and different staff come on duty or take over responsibility for a particular person’s care.

"Patients we met on the wards had no complaints about their care, although we have identified some key areas of concern, mainly around pressure damage and wound care, where lack of assessment and care planning could place people at risk.

"When we raised the issue of records at North Devon Hospital earlier in the year, the trust gave us a detailed action plan which included some key changes to the documentation being used to ensure good care and treatment. They told us they would be fully compliant by the end of September.

“We are satisfied that the trust is already taking action. If we had any further concerns for people’s safety, we would take action straight away. In the meantime we will continue to monitor the hospital – and we will check to see that all the improvements have been made in further unannounced inspections.”

For help in gaining or maintaining your CQC registration contact one of our experts today