Luton care home handed warning for breaching safe care and treatment regulations
A care home in Luton has been issued a warning by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after an inspection into its services.
A report into Barton Lodge, in Birdsfoot Lane, which cares for older people with a physical disability and people living with dementia was published this month.
Inspectors, who visited between November 20 and December 11, 2024, found that it was in breach of legal regulations relating to people's safe care and treatment, governance systems and person-centred care. A warning notice was issued to the provider on December 17.
But the care home says it has taken proactive steps to address the concerns raised.
The CQC report stated: “The provider lacked effective systems for managing safety alerts and medicine recalls, which posed risks to individuals. Although incidents were managed internally and lessons were shared, some safety concerns were not escalated to the local authority for independent review."
Areas of concern included that “care plans and risk assessments often lacked sufficient detail”; “expired food items were found in communal fridges” and “medicines were not always administered in a timely manner, potentially compromising their effectiveness or causing adverse effects”.
Despite scoring ‘good’ in one assessment area, Barton Lodge was given an overall ‘requires improvement rating.
A spokesperson from the care home said: “We acknowledge the findings and remain committed to delivering high-quality, person-centred care to our residents.
"While the report highlights areas for improvement, we have already taken proactive steps to address these concerns, including enhanced governance, staff training, and strengthened safety measures. Our focus remains on continuous improvement to ensure the best possible outcomes for those in our care.
“We also appreciate that the CQC recognised many positive aspects of our service, including compassionate staff, a safe and welcoming environment, and positive feedback from residents and their families.”
Inspectors were given mixed feedback on staffing levels. The report stated that some relatives expressed concerns over weekend availability and response times.
The report added: “Care plans were not consistently updated according to changing needs. However, staff were trained and safely recruited, and they wore appropriate personal protective equipment.”
People told the CQC they felt safe and well cared for by the staff at Barton Lodge. One person said: “I feel safe here, they check on us at night.”