'Unsafe' care home rated inadequate by watchdog

A West Yorkshire nursing home has been placed in special measures after inspectors said residents were "not safe and were at risk of avoidable harm".

Elmhurst Care Home in Bradford was rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), after a visit by the regulator in December 2024.

A report by the CQC said there was a closed culture and poor staff morale at the home, which cares for elderly residents, including some with dementia.

A spokesperson for the home said managers were "working hard" to address the issues raised.

Inspectors said that while some residents and their families felt they were "being cared for well", others were unhappy with the service.

The regulator was told by relatives that there were not enough "meaningful, engaging activities" for people to do at the home.

The report said that medicines were not managed safely and that fire risks in people's bedrooms had "not been fully or robustly recorded or mitigated".

Sheila Grant, from the CQC, said: "When we inspected Elmhurst, we found leaders had not implemented good processes and weren't supporting staff, which led to people being placed at risk of unsafe care.

"We found a closed culture, poor morale and a clear divide between care staff and management which led to the breakdown of effective teamwork."

Ms Grant said the regulator expected "rapid and continued improvements" to be made at Elmhurst, and that it would be monitored closely over the coming months.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the care home said: "Whilst we appreciate this is a worrying time for relatives and loved ones of our residents, we at Elmhurst want to reassure everyone that we are working hard with our partners to address these issues."

The said their main priority was the "safety and comfort of our residents".

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