Care home in special measures blames low demand for closure
A care facility that was put in special measures and found to have installed closed circuit cameras without the consent of residents and their families has shut.
Trinity Care Home, in Cradley Heath, was declared overall inadequate by Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors following an announced check last year and closed its doors on February 23.
However, the owner Reliability UK Residential Limited said improvements had since been made. But the closure was based purely on a "business decision" as the home was not "financially viable" due to poor demand and difficulties attracting nursing staff.
The operation was put in special measures after inspectors found five elderly residents at the Mace Street site suffering from pressure sores last summer.
The latest report stated: "The provider's systems and processes had failed to identify concerns that came to light during the inspection. Closed circuit television (CCTV) had been put in place without people's knowledge or consent."
"This meant people were not supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and the policies and systems in the service did not support this practice.
"Systems were not in place to analyse accidents or incidents to identify any trends or lessons to be learned. The provider's own policies and procedures had not been reviewed to ensure they were fit for purpose for this part of their business."
But the report further stated:"People felt safe in the company of staff who supported them. Where safeguarding concerns had been raised, they were reported and acted on appropriately. Risks to people were assessed and staff were provided with up to date information regarding people's care needs."
The care home disconnected the CCTV from communal areas on the second day of the inspection.
Reliability UK's chief operating officer Cristina Pashmi said: "The home didn't close because it was in special measures. We had improved in some of the categories that the CQC mentioned.
"It was a business decision as the home wasn't financially viable. A new home opened in the area and the demand wasn't there. Trinity was our only elderly care provision in our portfolio which we took over in 2020 from a smaller provider.
"We kept it during the pandemic as we were unable to move people around.
"We are essentially a young people's support provider with homes elsewhere offering residential care for those with issues including autism and mental health. As a business we'll be concentrating on that area of care in future.
"We're not the only company to close care homes at the present time. Many are finding that fees from local authorities are not enough to cover costs and are shutting down as a result."
The 33-bedroom complex had 12 residents at the time of the report. Previous owners included Trinity Care, HC-One and Southern Cross.
