Cambridgeshire council acts to move residents from care home

Elderly residents at Littleport Grange nursing and residential home, in Littleport, are to be moved out after the home failed to improve after receiving a formal warning from health and social care watchdog the Care Quality Commission.

Inspectors made unannounced visits to the home, in Grange Lane, in January and demanded its operator, Dove Care Homes, urgently improve care.

Now Cambridgeshire County Council has stepped in and the residents will be moved to other care homes.

A joint statement from the council, Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust and NHS Cambridgeshire, said: “To ensure the safety and wellbeing of the residents we are working with families to find suitable alternative placements for each of the residents funded by the county council.

“As our safeguarding responsibilities extend to residents who are self-funders, we are also making contact with their relatives to discuss the situation.

“This decision has not been taken lightly and we recognise that relocation will be an unsettling experience for residents and their families. However, the welfare of residents within the home is of paramount importance to us.”

Inspectors found care plans at the home were inaccurate, out of date and incomplete and some nutrition plans were not being carried out correctly.

Dressings were not being changed at set times, so residents were at risk from infection.

Care charts did not state how often residents needed to be moved in bed, so they were often left longer than they should have been in one position.

A Care Quality Commission spokeswoman said: “Following continued concerns regarding Littleport Grange, we are taking action to protect the interests of the people using the service. However, the law does not allow us to go into further detail at this stage.”

A spokesman for Dove Care Group said: “We are disappointed that funding has been withdrawn by Cambridgeshire County Council and residents will be displaced from Littleport Grange as a result.

“We are taking this matter extremely seriously and are making a number of improvements to the home including appointing a new manager.

“We are confident that the home will soon meet the highest standards.”

Fred Brown, vice-chairman of Littleport Parish Council and a county councillor for Littleport, said: “It is sad that these people’s lives are being turned upside down through no fault of their own.”