CQC Places Isle of Wight Care Home into Special Measures

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated The Moorings Care Home as Inadequate and placed the service into special measures following an inspection in June.

The Moorings is a residential care home for older people and was inspected for the first time since coming under the management of Pebblestones Limited.

Inspectors identified 11 breaches of the Health and Social Care Act regulations, covering person-centred care, dignity and respect, consent, safe care and treatment, safeguarding, nutrition and hydration, premises and equipment, staffing, recruitment, statutory notifications and governance. The CQC also issued two Warning Notices requiring immediate improvements to safeguarding and the delivery of safe care.

The home was rated Inadequate across all five inspection areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led.

Inspectors found multiple concerns relating to people’s care and safety. Nine people were provided with food that did not match their prescribed modified diets, increasing the risk of choking. Records also showed some people were not receiving enough fluids, while significant weight loss was not always monitored appropriately.

The inspection also identified concerns around dignity and respect, with examples of people remaining in wet clothing, inadequate supervision, and limited opportunities for meaningful activities. Activity records reviewed over a six-week period showed some residents had little or no recorded social interaction beyond personal care.

Further issues included poor maintenance of the premises and equipment, incomplete care plans, insufficient guidance for staff supporting people with complex health conditions, poor infection prevention practices, inconsistent recording of end-of-life wishes and limited involvement of families in care planning. Inspectors also found evidence of a culture where staff did not always feel able to raise concerns.

As part of the special measures process, the CQC will continue to monitor the service closely while the provider implements the required improvements. If sufficient progress is not made, the regulator said it will consider taking further enforcement action.

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