A CARE home that can provide support for up to 18 people living with dementia has been told it “requires improvement” after two serious injuries and an allegation of abuse were not reported.

Bracken Lodge Care Home, in Bracken Road, Southbourne, was rated “requires improvement” in the safe and well-led categories in the latest Care Quality Commission report.

In the effective, caring and responsive categories, it received a rating of “good.”

The home has three floors of accommodation, including a passenger lift, in house kitchen and laundry, specialist bathrooms and a communal lounge and dining room.

The report stated: “Systems in place to protect people from abuse or to mitigate risks to people’s health and well being were not operating effectively.

“We read an incident report and a daily care record that contained information that described potential abuse. The information had not been investigated by the registered manager or shared with the necessary external agencies.

“We found no evidence that people had been harmed however, systems were either not in place or robust enough to demonstrate people were protected from abuse.”

In the well-led category, the report found that the service management and leadership was inconsistent and didn’t always support the delivery of high-quality care.

“Governance systems had failed to identify that some accidents and incidents required a statutory notification. This included two serious injuries, an allegation of abuse and an authorised deprivation of liberty safeguard,” the report said.

The inspection did find that the staff, residents and their families spoke positively of the management and the “friendly, open, helpful nature of the registered manager.” One care worker told inspectors: “It’s well organized and I know what’s expected of me. I feel appreciated in everything I do.” The rating of the last inspection, in June 2017, was “good” and the care home will need to provide an action plan to improve its standards.