CSCI Strike Leicestershire Home Off Register After Residents Deemed at Serious Risk

CSCI has secured a court order to strike off a residential care home in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, after the safety and welfare of 12 older residents were judged to be at serious risk.

Worries about the quality of care at Acorn Lodge provoked a multi-agency response from Leicestershire County Council’s adult social care service and Leicestershire Police, who are investigating events that allegedly have already taken place.

The Commission secured an urgent order from Leicester Magistrates’ Court on last Friday 28 November to cancel the registration of the home which means it cannot legally continue to operate.

CSCI and Leicestershire Council have already moved all the residents from Acorn Lodge to alternative accommodation.

Two women aged 40 and 25 have been arrested on suspicion of ill-treatment and wilful neglect. They have been released on police bail pending further enquiries.

CSCI’s eastern region director, Norwyn Cole, said:

‘We carried out a scheduled inspection of Acorn Lodge at the beginning of September and found shortcomings in the standards of care. Following information we received about matters that are now under investigation by the police, another inspection was carried out in early November. Inspectors found that standards had deteriorated further, and they had serious concerns about the threat this posed to the safety and welfare of the residents.’

He said frequent inspections showed, ‘that the quality of care was not improving. We could not allow this to continue, and that is why we took the decision to seek the urgent court order, under Section 20 of the Care Standards Act 2000, to cancel the registration of the home’.

Mr Cole added: ‘The Commission takes such action only when it considers people to be at serious risk. The decision is never taken lightly. We know all too well the impact that the closure of a home can have on the people who live there, their families and their carers, as well as members of the staff.’

Detective Inspector Dave Richardson from Leicestershire Constabulary said that investigations into alleged ill-treatment and wilful neglect were continuing.

The home has the right of appeal to the Care Standards Tribunal which is an independent body.