The issues were raised following an inspection by The Care Quality Commission in January
The issues were raised following an inspection by The Care Quality Commission in January
A care home was told it requires improvement after it was found to be “visibly dirty” by inspectors. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated Riversdale Nursing Home good in three areas but still found breaches of regulations in its inspection.
The West Kirby care home on Riversdale Road on the Wirral for those living with dementia or disabilities. The home, which can care for up to 40 people, was inspected in January 2025.
Overall the CQC said the way the home was run “did not always identify and address areas of concerns” and systems in place to monitor staffing levels were not effective. Low staff numbers and a lack of supervision of agency staff were also raised as a concern.
The CQC found the home was in breach of the legal regulations around people’s safe care and treatment, and staffing and governance. The home has been told to draw up an action plan as it’s been found it requires improvement overall.
In three areas, the home was rated “good” but in terms of how safe and well-led the service was, improvement was needed. The CQC got mixed feedback from people living in the home, with some saying they felt safe and well cared for, while others felt care was unsupportive.
However the CQC also found staff were trained and properly recruited, with most saying it was a good place to work. Inspectors said they “observed care being delivered in a positive way” and “most people spoke positively regarding the care they received from staff and this view was shared by relatives.”
The safety of care was downgraded from “good” to “requires improvement” with inspectors finding “staff did not always listen to concerns about safety and did not always investigate and report safety events.” One person said: “If I am honest, I don’t always feel comfortable to voice concerns.”
Care plans were found to be inconsistent with conflicting information while monitoring of accidents was found to be not robust enough. The CQC said areas of the home were unsafe with four radiator covers coming away from the walls, loose wires in a bedroom, loose medication under a bed, and one relatively said they “do worry it may be cold for them.”
Renovation work was being seen with areas of improvement being made. Infection prevention was another concern with PPE incorrectly binned with used PPE and cleaning materials left in bedrooms.
The CQC said bedrooms, bathrooms, and equipment were “visible dirty” with overful clinical waste bins. While most food was in date and stored correctly, the CQC also found “some of the storage areas were visibly dirty and some packets of food were not sealed appropriately.”
Medicine handling wasn’t always safe with stock checks of medicines inaccurate as well as one drug being out of date. No risk assessments were found to be in place to manage risk but action was later taken by the home to make sure these concerns were addressed.
Staff also said “care plans are read when staff have the time” though another staff member said they knew the plans well and it was important to promote choice. Communication was also raised as an issue.
Despite this, the home was found to have always treated people well and respected their privacy and dignity. The home was described by the CQC was having “a welcoming and friendly atmosphere.”
The home was found to promote people’s independence despite some of their needs not being met. Staff also said they felt valued, respected, and supported in their roles though one said they worried about bringing issues up.
The CQC said due to mixed feedback “we were not fully assured people would always speak up and raise concerns,” but added: “We saw evidence of when concerns or complaints had been raised to the registered manager, they had taken action to address these.” The home was also praised for a diverse and inclusive culture amongst staff.
Riversdale Nursing Home was approached for comment.
