'˜Inadequate' care home slammed by CQC

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has ordered Highbury House Care Home, in Lytham Road, South Shore, to improve after rating it ‘inadequate’.

It was also put in special measures following an inspection, which found an elderly resident with dementia had got out unnoticed, as revealed in The Gazette on Thursday.

Debbie Westhead, deputy chief inspector of Adult Social Care in the North, said: “The care we saw being provided at Highbury House Care Home falls a long way short of what we expect services to provide.

“It is unacceptable that the provider has failed to safeguard people from potential risk or implement effective systems to monitor the quality of care being provided.

“We have been working with Blackpool Council to ensure that people living at the home are not at undue risk.

“We will continue to monitor this care home. We have placed this service in special measures – and we are considering taking enforcement action and will report on this action when it is completed.”

A spokesman for the home, which had 28 residents at the time of its inspection, said: “The wellbeing, safety and health of the residents we support are our top priorities.

“We were deeply disappointed by the outcome of the Care Quality Commission inspection in October 2015, and have been working tirelessly with all appropriate authorities to ensure we are delivering the high quality care we pride ourselves on and that residents deserve.

“We are confident this report is no longer an accurate reflection of the care being delivered at the home, and look forward to demonstrating to the CQC the significant improvements we have made.”