A South London care home has been told to improve after inspectors found staff were not managing medicines safely, missed health and safety checks and had inconsistent cleaning practices.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) discovered multiple breaches of regulations at Roy Kinnear House, in Twickenham, which is run by Choice Support.
The CQC rated the care home ‘requires improvement’, with this being its first inspection since the provider turned from a charity into a community benefit society. A new report said the care home did not have a registered manager at the time of the inspection which had contributed to its failings, although it has since appointed an acting manager. It supports people with profound and multiple disabilities.
Inspectors found problems in governance, staffing arrangements, care planning, medicines management and the oversight of health and safety protocols. They said these issues affected the quality and consistency of care provided to residents.
The keeping of records was a key concern in the report, which said supervision records were not up-to-date and care plans and risk assessments were not consistently reviewed. Health and safety audits had not been completed between January and April, while the last recorded medicines audit was in December 2024.
The report said: “Inconsistent staffing levels had also impacted service delivery. Some care plans and risk assessments were not reviewed or updated in line with people’s changing needs. Activity planning was limited by staffing constraints, and records of care lacked structure and outcome-focused detail.”
It added: “We found shortfalls in how the provider ensured a safe environment, including missed health and safety checks, inconsistent cleaning practices, and a lack of infection control audits. Medicines were not managed safely, with issues such as excess stock, unclear protocols, and unresolved audit actions. Care planning documentation lacked clarity and consistency, and some care records had not been updated in response to people’s changing needs.”
However, staff were praised for showing residents compassion, understanding their needs, using different forms of communication and offering personalised support. Feedback from most families showed they were happy with the support provided, while staff spoke positively about their roles.
The report said residents appeared “settled, well cared for and content in their environment”. Staff supported them to maintain routines, keep in contact with loved ones and participate in activities they enjoyed.
Five people were living at Roy Kinnear House at the time of the inspection. The CQC has asked the care home for an action plan in response to the concerns it raised.
A Choice Support spokesperson said: “The CQC’s report on Roy Kinnear House highlights key areas where we need to improve. We have a long-standing reputation as a high-quality provider of individualised and innovative care and support, and we are working hard to address the points raised in the report.
“We have recently appointed a new interim manager, implemented revised governance processes, and made improvements to our health and safety protocols. We believe this progress will be reflected in any subsequent reports. We will continue to work closely with our staff, with the people we support and their families, and with external partners to drive improvements and uphold the standards expected of us.”
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