100 residents at risk of being evicted at failing care home
MORE than 100 vulnerable residents are at risk of eviction after a failing care home was placed in special measures and threatened with closure.
Summerfield House, which charges £1,100 a week, is now rated inadequate and officially one of the worst in Britain.
Provider Bondcare claims to run award-winning care and nursing homes, but was yesterday told its registration could be terminated.
It means as many as 107 frail and elderly people at the home, some of whom have dementia, could be forced to find alternative accommodation.
The findings of unannounced inspections were published on the same day the Express revealed one in five care homes is rated “requires improvement” or “inadequate”.
Summerfield’s spot checks took place between January 16 and February 8 after we exposed a litany of failings, including the eviction of a mute 82-year-old gran and a police probe over the neglect of a frail woman resident.
Yesterday the Care Quality Commission published a dossier of damning findings. It said elderly residents were at risk of harm, not always treated with dignity and staff were not always caring. It added that some staff lacked empathy, while residents were not always protected from the risk of abuse and improper treatment.
One source close to the home said: “The CQC along with Calderdale Council and Bondcare have all failed.”
Summerfield House, a residential nursing home in Halifax, West Yorkshire, had been rated as “requires improvement” in five inspections since 2020.
The CQC was forced to act over concerns about management, care, treatment, privacy and dignity and incidents where safety, health and well-being had been put at risk.
Some are still subject to further investigation, with Bondcare told that regulatory action could follow.
After the latest probe inspectors identified six breaches relating to safe care and treatment, privacy and dignity, safeguarding, staffing, recruitment and governance.
It was ranked “inadequate” when marked on whether it was well-led and safe, and “requires improvement” on being responsive, caring and effective. Overall, its grading is “inadequate”. The facility is believed to get around £200,000 a month from Calderdale Council, which places locals there. In June last year mute grandmother Yvonne Williamson, 82, was evicted despite pleas for clemency from social services, specialists, the NHS, which funded her care, and her three children.
And last week this newspaper told how a 37-year-old former carer at the home arrested on suspicion of neglect was given a conditional police caution after a video appeared to show a resident being flung into a chair.
When inspectors called there were 94 residents at Summerfield House.
The manager quit and left on February 7, a day before the visits ended. An interim manager is now in charge. A spokesman for Summerfield House said: “Our new care manager, who has a track record of service turnaround, knows what is required and expects to see widespread improvements in the coming weeks.”
The CQC said: “We will re-inspect within six months to check for significant improvements.” If it fails the CQC could cancel its registration.