Nottinghamshire Care Home Placed in Special Measures

Aldercar Residential Care Home, located in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, has been placed into special measures by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The watchdog issued an "inadequate" rating following an inspection in May. The inspection identified five breaches of regulation, including issues with risk management, medicines, person-centred care, consent, safeguarding, and governance.

Inspectors found that leaders did not adequately control the safety of care. Concerns included poor pre-admission assessments, a lack of incident recording, and a weak safety culture. Residents reported experiencing pressure from busy staff, with one stating, "I get told off if I use my buzzer too often at night." Some also felt they had minimal choice or control over their daily lives.

Despite these findings, the CQC noted positive feedback regarding staff kindness and compassion. Greg Rielly, CQC's deputy director of adult social care in the East Midlands, stated that while the new management team is working to improve the service, significant changes require more time to become fully embedded.

Ania Limited, the operator of Aldercar Residential Care Home, acknowledged the seriousness of the findings. The company stated that a comprehensive internal improvement program has commenced, with support from local authority quality teams and independent care consultants, to address all identified concerns.