Tiverton residential care home closed after being placed into special measures
The owners made the decision after the Care Quality Commission downgraded the overall rating to inadequate following an inspection in April.
A care home in Devon has decided to close following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission which downgraded the overall rating
The Larches residential care home in Tiverton was downgraded from requires improvement to inadequate and was placed into special measures to protect people, following an inspection that finished in April.
CQC carried out this inspection in response to concerns raised about recruitment practices and how the home was being managed.
During this inspection, inspectors identified six breaches of regulations relating to safe care and treatment, safeguarding people from abuse and improper treatment, safe staffing, recruitment, treating people with dignity and respect, and the overall management of the service.
As well placing the service into special measures to boost close monitoring, the body also began the process of taking further regulatory action to address the concerns, which Anne Gray Care Ltd has the right to appeal.
Stefan Kallee, CQC’s deputy director for adult social care in Devon, said: “When we visited The Larches Tiverton, it was disappointing to find that leaders hadn’t addressed the issues we highlighted at previous inspections and the service had deteriorated further.
“Inspectors found serious and widespread safety concerns in the home, many of which leaders were aware of but had failed to tackle. For example, managers had known since last summer that a lift door posed a risk of people becoming trapped in it, but nothing had been done about this, meaning people remained at risk.
“It was clear that the service wasn’t ensuring people received their medicines in a safe or effective way. Some people received their medicines via patches, which should be applied to different places on the body on rotation. However, staff weren’t recording where on people’s bodies they were applying the patches or checking that they remained in place. This meant people may not always have received their medicines as prescribed.
“People told us staff treated them with kindness and inspectors could see that individual staff knew the people they supported well. However, we found the best efforts of staff to provide care that reflected people’s needs and preferences was undermined because they were often working without the information or resources they needed.
“For example, people told us they would like to go outside more but this wasn’t possible because leaders hadn’t ensured there were enough staff and the garden wasn’t accessible or secure. This limited people’s freedom and quality of life.
“We’ve told leaders at The Larches Tiverton where we need to see immediate and significant improvements. In the meantime, we’re monitoring the service closely to keep people safe while these changes take place.”
However the owners of The Larches Care Home decided to close their doors following the recent inspection.
A spokesperson said: "We are disappointed by the outcome of the recent CQC inspection and fully recognise the concerns that have been raised. The safety and wellbeing of our residents has always been, and remains, our highest priority.
"However, it is important to provide some context regarding the exceptionally challenging circumstances the home has faced over the inspection period. Like many care providers across the country, we experienced severe staffing shortages and significant recruitment challenges, particularly within our local area. The home also experienced a period of transition between registered managers, creating a gap in leadership at a time when the sector was already under considerable pressure.
"Recruiting suitably qualified and experienced staff, particularly for senior and management roles, proved extremely difficult. Despite these challenges, our team worked tirelessly to maintain continuity of care and support for residents. We are proud that residents and inspectors recognised the kindness, commitment and dedication of our staff, many of whom went above and beyond during a very difficult period.
"We acknowledge that there were areas where improvements were required and where progress was not made as quickly as it should have been. However, we would like to clarify that significant efforts were made to maintain safe operations throughout this period. Essential checks and monitoring processes were undertaken, and we continuously sought to manage the home to the best possible standard given the staffing and leadership challenges we were facing.
"While we accept the findings of the inspection and recognise the need for improvement in several areas, it is important to acknowledge the wider challenges currently facing the adult social care sector, particularly the ongoing difficulties in recruiting and retaining experienced care staff.
"Following careful consideration, we have taken the difficult decision to close the home. This decision was not made lightly but reflects the ongoing challenges in maintaining sustainable staffing levels and ensuring we can consistently deliver the standard of care that residents deserve. Our priority throughout this process is to support residents, their families and our staff team, ensuring that all transitions are managed safely, compassionately and with dignity.
"We would like to thank our residents, their families and our dedicated staff for their trust, support and commitment over the years. We remain focused on working closely with all relevant agencies to ensure the wellbeing of residents during the closure process."