Failing Stafford care home threatened with closure turns itself around
A care home which was placed in special measures by health watchdogs and threatened with closure for a series of failings has now made a turnaround.
The Care Quality Commission had rated Butterhill House in Stafford ‘inadequate’ after a visit in September last year but following its latest inspection they have noted several improvements.
On the back of the unannounced visit, which took place on March 8, the watchdog has now elevated the home's rating to 'good'.
Only the area around how 'responsive' staff are fell below that benchmark and was deemed as 'requires improvement'.
The home, in Coppenhall, which is now called Butterhill Care Centre, has been turned around by RB Care Homes which took over in September last year.
READ the CQC report here
Ricki Bibi, director of operations, said: "We took over last September and were given a notice of closure. So we invited all the stakeholders in to tell them what we were doing.
"We specialise in turnarounds in homes all over England and Wales, we pull up our sleeves and do a lot of the dirty work. Our number one priority is that all our residents are safeguarded.
"We take homes on when they are struggling and there seems no alternative for the residents to be relocated.
"But that is the last thing you want because you are talking about elderly residents and to be honest they do not all survive being moved.
"We struggled with this home to begin with but we appealed the notice of closure and now we are fully compliant and very proud of it."
The latest CQC report said: "During this inspection the service demonstrated to us that improvements have been made and is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions.
"Therefore, this service is now out of special measures.
"During this inspection March 8 we saw improvements had been made to ensure people were provided with a safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led service.
"The provider had reviewed the internal management team and changes had been made. We judged sufficient improvements had been made.
"However, we will continue to closely monitor and review the service to ensure further improvements are made and people are provided with a safe service."
The home can cater for up to 28 people although at the time of the visit there were 11 residents.
