Bradford Care Home Safety ‘Compromised,’ Report Finds

A watchdog has determined that the safety of residents at a Bradford care home was “compromised at times by the behaviours of others living there.” A Care Quality Commission (CQC) report found that Burger Court, a residential care home supporting adults with mental health needs and learning disabilities, “requires improvement” in its safety, effectiveness, and leadership. After a visit by CQC inspectors in May, the facility, located on Barkerend Road, received a “good” rating for being caring and responsive, yet its overall rating was determined to “require improvement.” Valorum Care Limited, the operator of Burger Court and 41 other care homes and facilities nationwide, stated that it has made improvements since the report’s publication. The CQC report, published on November 29, indicated that inspectors were informed that individuals involved with the home “had not always felt listened to and there was delay in action being taken when they raised concerns.” The report also stated, “However, people spoke positively of the way staff and the new manager involved them in the service.” It further noted, “People and their relatives told us they generally felt the service was safe, but this was compromised at times by the behaviours of other people living at the home.” Inspectors observed that while some residents “felt involved in planning their care,” others “could not recall having any involvement.” According to the CQC report, Burger Court was also found to have breached two regulations pertaining to safe care and treatment and good governance. The report specified, “Risks associated with people’s care were not assessed effectively, medicines were not always managed safely, and systems had not been effective in identifying some concerns we found during this assessment.” Nevertheless, residents who communicated with CQC inspectors also reported being “treated with kindness by caring staff, who supported them to maintain their independence.” The CQC report concluded that, following the inspection, Valorum Care Limited had been requested to provide an action plan addressing the concerns identified during the assessment. A spokesperson for Valorum Care Limited stated: “We have continued to improve since the publication of this report and have a comprehensive action plan in place that the new management team is making positive progress with.”