Staff and residents were ‘regularly attacked’ at police probe home

Residents with challenging behaviour at a Sussex care home regularly attacked themselves, staff and other people, the CQC has revealed.

The revelations come in the latest inspection report on Sussex Health Care’s (SHC) The Laurels care home in Horsham.

The CQC said: “Incidents had regularly occurred where people had attacked themselves, staff and other people … Incidents had resulted in people becoming bruised and their clothes ripped. Staff had had their hair and clothes ripped and obtained grazes.”

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The CQC said staff had used unauthorised physical restraint techniques or authorised restrained techniques they had not been trained for in response to challenging behaviour.

Evidence was also found of people having been overprescribed medicines due to administration errors and failure to re-order revised prescriptions for people.

The Laurels is registered to provide this support for up to 41 people and younger adults with a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder, physical disabilities and sensory impairments.

The service is among a number of SHC services being investigated by police over 13 deaths between April 2015 and June 2017 (see Woman arrested in Sussex Health Care probe).

A SHC spokesperson said: “The quality of care and support we provide is our utmost priority. We have taken on board the findings of the CQC report and are taking proactive steps to ensure these are addressed. Following an extensive recruitment process, a new highly-experienced home manager has been appointed and will be working to ensure we deliver the best outcomes for the people we support and their families.”