Barleycroft Care Home in Spring Gardens, Chadwell Heath, has been rated ‘requires improvement’ following a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection that uncovered multiple safety and management concerns.
The unannounced inspection, carried out in May, focused on the ‘safe’ and ‘well-led’ aspects of care and revealed breaches in legal regulations related to people’s safety, health, and service oversight.
Safety Risks Highlighted
The CQC’s report, published on 29 July, noted “limited assurance” in the area of safety and warned of an “increased risk that people could be harmed.”
Key findings included:
- Three fire doors that were not closing properly.
- Boiling water dispensers in kitchenettes accessible to residents, posing scalding risks — particularly for those with sensory impairments.
- Missing or inadequate risk assessments for medical emergencies, including seizures and diabetes-related incidents.
- Incomplete care plans that failed to specify when emergency services should be called.
The fire doors were adjusted on the same day of the inspection, and the care home was instructed to take immediate action on the water dispenser hazard.
Inspection Verdict
While the inspection identified significant safety failings, it did not re-assess the remaining three CQC domains — effective, caring, and responsive — which retained their previous ‘good’ rating from earlier inspections.
The report concluded:
“The provider did not have effective systems to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service.”
Positive Aspects Noted
Despite the shortcomings, inspectors acknowledged a number of positives, including:
- Systems to learn from incidents and prevent repeat occurrences.
- Infection control policies aligned with national guidance.
- Safe medication management practices.
- Governance structures aimed at continuous improvement.
Provider Response
A spokesperson for Abbey Healthcare, which operates the home, said:
“We are extremely disappointed at the recent grading and proportionality of two of the themes (safe and well-led), especially when the bulk of the report is very positive and the remaining three themes remain ‘good.
We continue to challenge this rating as per the legal procedure.”
About Barleycroft Care Home
Barleycroft Care Home provides residential and dementia care services and is part of the Abbey Healthcare group. It has long been a facility for elderly care in the borough, with prior inspections rating the service ‘Good’ overall.
