A watchdog has raised concerns about human rights not being upheld at a care home in Farnham which “requires improvements” amid further worries about its management and culture.

Residents at The Woodlarks Centre are not always treated in a dignified way because of inappropriate restrictions according to inspectors at the Care Quality Commission (CQC) who visited the home last spring.

Staff recruitment files at the home in Lower Bourne did not contain all the necessary pre-employment checks, with inspectors also reporting lapses in medicine management and governance.

The home’s overall rating has dropped from “good” in 2016 and 2019 to “requires improvement” following the inspection, which took place after concerns were raised about the management and culture at the care home on Lodge Hill Road.

While the report states many of the residents and their families were happy with the service at The Woodlarks, some raised concerns about their treatment.

“There were sufficient numbers of staff members to meet people's needs,” states the report.

“We found examples where people had been supported in a restrictive way that did not support or uphold their human rights.

“People were not always treated in a dignified way, with inappropriate restrictions being in place.

“Medicine management processes were not always safe, and quality governance systems were not effective in their use.”

The report adds: “We (also) identified the provider had not obtained all the necessary pre-employment information in respect of staff to ensure they were of good character.”

Concerns were also raised around the management team with reports stating: “The language documented in the minutes of staff meetings did not always demonstrate that the management team were open and receptive to feedback.

“For example, describing people as manipulative and exaggerating the truth. This meant processes to address feedback were not always taken with an objective and respectful approach.”

The report continued: “Quality monitoring processes were not always effective in identifying where improvements were needed, or in addressing shortfalls where these had been recorded.”

However, it’s well worth noting that nearly a year has passed since the inspection, and the report was only released in November so changes may have taken place since their visit.

Indeed, the care home received a “good” mark in the Effective, Caring and Responsive categories, with lower marks in the Safe and Well-led sections bringing down its overall rating to “requires improvement”.

Inspectors also noted that staff were “kind and caring and understood people’s individual needs”, and had close working relationships with healthcare professionals, ensuring medical needs were being met.

Relatives also told the CQC team during their month-long inspections that managers and staff communicated with them, and that the team had taken action to address any concerns raised.

The report adds: “Risks to people were managed to keep people safe, and people were able to provide feedback on the running of the service, which was used to drive improvement.”

The Woodlarks Centre was approached for a response, but told the Herald they do not want to comment at this time.