CSCI Closes Nursing Home In Lichfield
By News England

The social care regulator, the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), has obtained a court order to close a nursing home in Lichfield after the safety and welfare of the residents was judged to be at risk.

Using its legal powers, the Commission successfully applied for an emergency order from Tamworth Magistrates last Friday (7 September) to cancel the registration of Heritage Court Nursing Home, in Thames Valley Road.

This week the needs of the 22 people living at the home have been carefully assessed in consultation with their families and they have moved safely to suitable alternative accommodation provided for them by the organisations that have responsibilities for the care of one or more of the residents – Staffordshire County Council, Walsall Borough Council, Walsall Teaching Primary Care Trust, and South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

CSCI’s Regional Director for the West Midlands, Sarah Norman, said: “We have had serious concerns about the standards of care and management at Heritage Court since June. Despite being given every opportunity, the owner and manager have failed to make the improvements necessary to meet national standards and provide adequately for the needs of the residents.

“This put the safety and welfare of the residents at risk. We could not allow this to continue, and that is why we sought the emergency order, under Section 20 of the Care Standards Act 2000, to cancel the registration of the home.

“We have been working closely with the other agencies to ensure the well-being of the residents while arrangements were made for them to move to alternative accommodation.

“The decision to close a care home is never taken lightly by the Commission and is usually the last resort after every effort has been made to get the owners to improve standards and comply with legal requirements. We know all too well the impact that closure can have on the people who live there, their families and their carers, as well as members of the staff.”