Saxon Lodge Care Home Rated Inadequate After CQC Identifies Seven Breaches

Saxon Lodge Residential Home Limited in Canterbury, Kent, has been downgraded from good to inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following an inspection in July that identified serious concerns about residents’ safety, care and treatment.

The home, operated by an organisation of the same name, provides personal care for people, including those living with dementia. There were 21 residents at the time of the inspection.

CQC identified seven breaches of regulations covering safe care and treatment, medicines management, person-centred care, dignity and respect, consent, complaints handling, staffing and the overall management of the service.

The home’s ratings for safety and leadership fell from good to inadequate, while effectiveness, caring and responsiveness were rated as requiring improvement.

CQC has placed the service in special measures for closer monitoring and begun the process of further regulatory action. The provider has the right to appeal the proposed action.

CQC deputy director of adult social care in Kent, Catriona Eglinton, said inspectors found that residents’ needs were not consistently met and managers had failed to respond adequately to concerns raised by people and their relatives.

Inspectors found staff lacked clear guidance on supporting residents experiencing anxiety or distress. In some cases, staff struggled to manage distressed behaviour, frightening other residents. Relatives reported being called to the home, sometimes at night, to help calm family members when staff were unable to manage the situation.

Staffing levels were another concern. CQC found that staffing plans did not adequately account for residents’ emotional support needs. Staff were often occupied with tasks such as laundry and medication rounds, leaving communal areas without sufficient support for people who needed reassurance.

Residents and relatives also reported instances of staff speaking disrespectfully to residents and arguing in communal areas. In one incident described to inspectors, a staff member responded insensitively when a resident repeatedly asked when she could return home.

The inspection identified weaknesses in medicines management, including unclear administration instructions and incomplete records, creating a risk that residents might not receive the medicines they needed.

CQC also found that dietary requirements were not always followed. In one case, a resident who required pureed food was offered a meal that remained lumpy, creating a potential choking risk.

Inspectors reported that residents lacked sufficient meaningful activities and often spent time watching television or walking through corridors. Concerns were also raised about the support provided to people displaying distressed behaviour, including an instance in which other residents were discouraged from sitting beside someone who kicked out, leaving that person frequently alone.

CQC found that managers had not responded effectively to relatives’ concerns or demonstrated sufficient understanding of the seriousness of the problems identified.

Eglinton said the regulator had outlined the improvements required and would monitor the home closely to help protect residents while changes were made.

The findings highlight significant shortcomings in care delivery, staffing, leadership and the handling of concerns at Saxon Lodge, prompting CQC to impose special measures and pursue further regulatory action.

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