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High fees at failing care homes have been a scandal that has driven hundreds of thousands of families to despair.
Many claim they have been effectively gagged when trying to sound the alarm on issues of concern, with the threat of eviction hanging over loved ones if they dare speak out.
Earlier this year this newspaper revealed one in five care homes was rated “requires improvement” or “inadequate”, a grim statistic that shames the sector.
On the same day, the Care Quality Commission published a dossier of findings following inspections at Summerfield House nursing home in Halifax, West Yorkshire.
Spot checks were carried out after we exposed a litany of failings, including the eviction of a mute dementia sufferer and a police probe over allegations of neglect.
The CQC said elderly residents were at risk of harm, not always treated with dignity and staff were not always caring. It added that some professionals lacked empathy, while residents were not always protected from the risk of abuse and improper treatment.
Summerfield House, which charges some of those inside upwards of £1,00 a week, is currently rated inadequate and officially one of the worst in Britain.
In June last year grandmother Yvonne Williamson, 82, was evicted despite pleas for clemency from social services, specialists, the NHS, which funded her care, and her children.
Grandmother-of-three Mrs Williamson, who cannot speak, had to leave despite objections from care professionals, who argued it would cause her huge distress.
Her daughter Penny, 55, said: “Safeguarding issues have been raised by the home – not the family. We have been given no logical explanation and are left thinking a decision made by someone who never met mum wants issues off the register to make their lives easier.”
Summerfield House, run by provider Bondcare, had been rated as “requires improvement” in five inspections since 2020.
One source close to the home said: “The CQC along with Calderdale Council and Bondcare have all failed.”
The manager quit and left on February 7, a day before the visits ended. An interim manager was placed in charge.
At the time the CQC inspection report was published in April a spokesman for Summerfield House said: “Our new care manager, who has a track record of service turnaround, knows what is required and expects to see widespread improvements.”
The CQC said: “We will re-inspect to check for significant improvements.”
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