A SOUTHAMPTON care facility where a resident was found dead under his fourth-floor balcony has been slammed by the health watchdog.

Potters Court, in Wimpson Lane, Maybush, has been told it requires improvement by the CQC after it was found there were issues with safety, effectiveness and management.

The facility looks after people with dementia, mental health conditions, physical disabilities, and sensory impairments.

An inspection was done just months after resident Mark Williams was found dead outside his flat at the assisted living complex where services are provided by Apex Prime Care.

His family say he fell on the night of November 8 last year while trying to put himself to bed.

They are now demanding answers from the care provider Apex Prime Care.

Inspectors spoke with three people using the service, five relatives, four staff, the manager and three further members of the management team.

They also reviewed care plans, risk assessments and medicines.

The report published this month states: "Some aspects of the service were not always safe and there was limited assurance about safety. 

"There was an increased risk that people could be harmed."

People gave inspectors mixed feedback about the timings of calls and how long the care staff spent with them, the report read. 

A relative told inspectors that their family member had received several visits which were shorter than they needed.

This meant the person had not received all the support they needed and the relative felt this put their family member at risk of harm. 

People and staff also raised an issue regarding there being only one staff member on duty at night, which was causing concern should more than one patient need urgent care during the night shift.

A relative told inspectors: "All the carers are going in and telling residents that there are not enough staff and this is causing them concern." 

Residents had also not been kept up to date with the change in managers. 

Night-shift staff said that they could not always get through to the 'on-call' staff member - a member of staff that could be contacted during an emergency - out of hours, but the care provider denied this allegation when asked by inspectors. 

The provider had not always been "robust" in ensuring they could meet people's assessed needs before agreeing to provide care to them.

Inspectors also found that the provider was unable to demonstrate a robust system for "assessing the competency" of staff to support people with their medicines.

They said that there had not been an "open and positive" culture at the service, but noted that action had been taken to improve the situation.

"Management had learnt lessons when things had gone wrong for people and took action to make improvements," it said.

Assessments took place to understand people's needs, however, inspectors noted that the provider had not always been robust in ensuring they could meet people's assessed needs before agreeing to provide care to them.

Staff told inspectors that they wished they had more training to meet the needs of people living there, which included training for mental health.

The report said: "We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements."

A spokesperson for Southampton City Council, which operates the site, explained that the CQC rating is not for Potters Court overall, but for the care provided by Apex Prime Care. 

They added: "Inspectors from Care Quality Commission (CQC) visited Apex Prime Care in January to review the care they give to some of the residents at Potters Court. We are working closely with the care provider and the CQC to address the recommendations raised within the report.”

Apex Prime Care was approached for a comment but did not respond.