'Inadequate' Oswestry care home hits back at 'misleading' and 'disproportionate' CQC report

The owner of a care home which was found to be ‘inadequate’ after an inspection has slammed the report as “incorrect” and “disproportionate”.

High Lea House in Oswestry was found in breach of multiple care regulations after a damning assessment by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which identified “significant and widespread concerns” around safety, governance and leadership at the older people’s care home.

The inspection was triggered by concerns raised by the local authority about the quality of care and leadership at the home, which had 15 residents at the time of the visit.

High Lea House on Llanforda Rise was placed into special measures by the CQC in January last year, but was removed in August after improvements were found to have been made.

According to the recently published report, the service had been operating without a registered manager for more than a year. During this period, inspectors found that systems to monitor quality, manage risks and ensure compliance had “deteriorated”.

Inspectors highlighted several areas where residents were placed at risk, including hydration monitoring, medicine management and safeguarding.

However, the owner of High Lea House has strongly disputed the findings and confirmed that a formal complaint has been submitted to the CQC about both the conclusions and the inspection process.

Yvonne Wakefield, owner of High Lea House, said the report was “misleading, in parts incorrect, and entirely disproportionate”.

She added: “As a stark example of the report being disproportionate, a thorough inspection of our medication storage showed us to be fully compliant, except for one isolated act by a visiting healthcare professional.

“Yet, the CQC’s blanket statement citing 'concerns about storage of medication' completely fails to acknowledge the extensive compliant work they witnessed. Furthermore, despite providing full contact details, not a single one of our frontline care staff was interviewed or contacted for comment by the inspectors.

“This report does not reflect reality.

“We regularly receive equally positive and supportive comments from our residents’ relatives and visiting healthcare professionals.

“Full details of our formal replies to the CQC, alongside comprehensive details of the continuous improvements being made, are being made fully available to our residents' relatives and the local authority."