Inquiry leads to Croydon action plan

Croydon Council’s social services department has drawn up an
action plan to improve residential care for the borough’s older
residents, after a resident of a privately-run home died from
malnutrition.

The plan has been drawn up following an inquiry, jointly
commissioned by Croydon Council, Croydon Health Authority and
Croydon and Surrey Downs Community Trust into the treatment of two
residents at the Anchorage home.

A 31-page report on the nine-bed home, which closed last April,
revealed that residents had complained about the standard of care
at the home since it opened in 1991.

Council officers had also raised concerns about staffing levels
at the home.

But the report highlighted a series of systems failings,
including a reduction in the number of times small homes were
visited and a poor system for recording complaints, meant the home
remained open.

Hannah Miller, Croydon Council’s director of social services,
said: “We accept the report’s findings that monitoring arrangements
with regard to this particular small home were not as comprehensive
as they might have been. We are extremely sorry for the distress
this has caused.”

Croydon Health Authority’s chief executive Kevin Barton said:
“Clear procedures for receiving, investigating and monitoring
complaints are now in place.” He added that all three-bed homes
would now be reviewed annually.

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