Bridlington's 'unsafe' Sandy Lane Hotel care home at risk of closure after 'inadequate' report finds series of safety failures

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out an inspection of Sandy Lane Hotel on Sands Lane in June where officers discovered a series of safety failures.

Sandy Lane Hotel was given the lowest rating of inadequate and issued with a warning following a visit from inspectors whose report said the care home was “not safe and not well led”.

The care home has 16 residents aged 65 and over and also looks after those living with dementia.

Inspectors found that windows at the care home were not secure and some restrictors allowed windows to open wider than was safe and others were single-pane glass and posed a risk of shattering.

However, the provider made assurances to the CQC that work to make the windows safe was completed following the report.

Concerns were also raised that staff had left soap out that could be ingested by residents.

There was also criticism that medicines were not always stored correctly and the CQC could not be assured that residents had received their correct dosage of medicines as prescribed as the amount of recorded stock differed.

Inspectors found residents were at risk of infection as areas of the home were dirty, including “significantly dusty” radiators.

Recruitment background checks were not robust and staff started employment without appropriate checks to ensure they were of good character.

Yet, residents and their families told inspectors “they felt safe” at the care home.

Inspectors said that systems were not robust enough to ensure the service was effectively managed, with staff reporting they felt unable to approach management teams to raise concerns.

However, inspectors did note that the families of residents “were positive about the kind and caring nature of staff”.

When contacted, Sandy Lane Hotel declined to comment on the report’s findings. The inspection followed a previous inadequate rating after a visit in September 2021.

The CQC is now deciding whether to close Sandy Lane Hotel and will reinspect within six months to ensure improvements are made.

If improvements are not made before the next review, regulators have the power to cancel the registration of the provider; meaning the home could be shut down.