Inadequate-rated care home set to close

A care home which was placed into special measures after inspectors found its level of care to be inadequate is set to close, its owner says.

The Larches, Tiverton, run by Anne Gray Care Ltd, is a residential care home for older people, including people with dementia and disabilities.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said it found "serious and widespread safety concerns" during an inspection undertaken in April.

Owner Zak Shaikh said he was "disappointed by the outcome" of the inspection and the safety and wellbeing of residents "has always been, and remains, our highest priority".

He said it had been a difficult decision to close the home but it reflected the "ongoing challenges in maintaining sustainable staffing levels and ensuring we can consistently deliver the standard of care that residents deserve".

Inspectors found the home was in breach of six areas - 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.

Stefan Kallee, the CQC's deputy director for adult social care in Devon, said it was "disappointing" that leaders had not addressed the issues highlighted in previous inspections and that the service had "deteriorated further".

He noted inspectors had found "serious and widespread safety concerns in the home, many of which leaders were aware of but had failed to tackle".

Kallee said inspectors found staff had not been ensuring residents received their medicines "in a safe or effective way".

As part of the inspection, residents said staff treated them with kindness but their efforts to provide care were undermined because they were "often working without the information or resources they needed".

Shaikh said the home had faced "exceptionally challenging circumstances" during the inspection period, including "severe staffing shortages" and recruitment challenges.

"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," he said.

Shaikh added that "significant efforts were made to maintain safe operations throughout this period".

The owner said the home would work closely with relevant agencies to "ensure the wellbeing of residents during the closure process".

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