Concerns Over Learning Disability Care

Just one in five NHS and privately-run hospitals and care homes for people with learning disabilities meet national standards, according to a series of unannounced inspections.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published its latest batch of reports on whether people get safe and appropriate treatment and care, and if they are protected from abuse.

The results showed just four out of 20 providers met essential standards for both care and welfare and safeguarding. Of 67 reports published so far (including the latest 20), just 17 providers were compliant with both standards.

The CQC said it had issued a formal warning over Walkern Lodge, a hospital for up to six women in Stevenage run by the private firm Cambian Learning Disabilities Limited. Inspectors said they had “major concerns” regarding safeguarding at the hospital.

They also expressed major concerns over safeguarding at another hospital, Bloomfield Court, and 5, 6 Ivy Mews in London, run by private firm Curo Care Limited.

At Walkern Lodge, inspectors found staff saying they regularly restrained people with learning disabilities but proper logs were not kept and managers denied this even happened. Two staff were suspended during the investigation.

Inspectors also found incidents had occurred relating to “missing money, a disclosure of alleged abuse, a potential incident of physical abuse and two separate incidents of serious self harm, that had not been reported to the Hertfordshire safeguarding team or to us, the Commission”.

The CQC said it had since been back to inspect Walkern Lodge and was satisfied that “necessary improvements” had been made.

A joint statement from Mencap and the Challenging Behaviour Foundation said lessons must be learned:”These latest CQC reports again reveal serious concerns about the care people with a learning disability are receiving in specialist assessment units, and it is extremely worrying that 16 of the latest 20 units inspected by the CQC are not fully compliant with essential quality and safety standards.”

Care services minister Paul Burstow said: “People with learning disabilities deserve individualised care, and these inspections are rooting out unacceptable practice. Where concerns are raised, both the NHS and local authorities have already begun to take action. Providers must provide good care, but commissioners must design and buy the right services in the first place.”