Care services regulator cancels registration of care home after residents found to be at risk
7 August 2008
The social care regulator, the Commission for Social Care
Inspection (CSCI), has obtained a court order to cancel the
registration of a residential nursing home in Northamptonshire
after the safety and welfare of the elderly residents was judged to
be at serious risk.
Using its legal powers, the Commission successfully applied for
an urgent order from Northamptonshire Magistrates’ Court on Friday
(1 August) to cancel the registration of Southfield Care Homes, at
Southfield House, Bridge Street, Brackley. This means the home
cannot legally continue to operate.
The application to the court followed three unannounced
inspections of the privately-owned and managed home by CSCI last
week. Inspectors were seriously concerned about the low number of
staff available and their ability to meet the needs – including
medication management - of the people living there.
CSCI is working closely with Northamptonshire County Council and
Northamptonshire Teaching Primary Care Trust. The Council and the
PCT are assessing each of the residents – in consultation with
their families – to ensure that their health and care needs are
addressed, both in the immediate and long term, while seeking
alternative accommodation for them. In the meantime the Council and
the PCT have put nursing and care staff into Southfield to support
the home’s own staff.
CSCI’s Regional Director for the East, Norwyn Cole, said:
“We have had concerns for some time about the poor standards of
care at Southfield. Despite being given every opportunity, the
owner has failed to make the improvements necessary to meet
national standards and to provide adequately for the needs of the
residents.
“We have carried out a series of unannounced inspections at the
home during the course of this year. Matters came to a head last
week when our inspectors decided that the safety and welfare of the
people living there was being put at serious risk. We could not
allow this to continue, and that is why we sought the urgent order
to cancel the registration of the home immediately, under Section
20 of the Care Standards Act 2000.
"The decision to cancel the registration of 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 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."
Notes for Editors
- Southfield Care Homes should not be confused with Southfields
House in Farmhill Road, Southfields, Northampton, which is run by
Northamptonshire County Council.
- Southfield Care Homes was registered to provide personal and
nursing care for up to 52 elderly people. At the time its
registration was cancelled, there were 34 people living there. The
registered provider (owner) of the home, Mr P. Sohanpaul, has the
right of appeal to the Care Standards Tribunal, an independent
body. Pending the outcome of an appeal, the home cannot legally
remain open.
- CSCI is the single inspectorate for adult social care in
England, responsible for regulating and inspecting social care
providers –whether in the public or independent sector – and for
assessing the performance of local councils in delivering their
personal social services functions.
- The Commission’s primary aim is to improve social care by
putting the needs of people who use care services first.
- The Commission is chaired by Dame Denise Platt DBE and has five
Commissioners. The Chief Inspector is Paul Snell. CSCI staff work
across seven regions in England.
Media contacts
- Ray Veasey 020 7979 2094
- Andy Keast-Marriott 020 7979 2093
- James Hedges 020 7979 2089