Council lifts suspension on new placements at Crowhurst home

The council has lifted its suspension on new placements at a troubled care home - but says there is still work to be done.
Green Hill Care Home, Station Road, Crowhurst. SUS-160222-142811001Green Hill Care Home, Station Road, Crowhurst. SUS-160222-142811001
Green Hill Care Home, Station Road, Crowhurst. SUS-160222-142811001

East Sussex County Council suspended new placements at Green Hill in Station Road, Crowhurst, in January 2015, due to concerns about the quality of care provided.

A Quality Care Commission inspection led to the home being branded ‘inadequate’ and placed in Special Measures in July 2015.

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CQC inspectors revisited the home, which caters for people living with dementia, for an unannounced inspection on June 10, 2016.

The report, published last week, saw Green Hill rated as ‘requires improvement’ across five areas - safety, effectiveness, caring, responsiveness and leadership.

This means the home has an overall rating of ‘requires improvement’ - one rating above ‘inadequate’.

Last year the CQC raised concerns over Green Hill’s risk assessments, finding breaches of the Health and Social Care Act, and said cleanliness and maintenance of the building put people at risk from cross infection. However the latest inspection found improvements had been made.

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The new report noted that the home was appropriately staffed, safeguarding policies were appropriate and up to date and there were records of medicines received, disposed of and administered.

However some residents branded the home ‘boring’ with the CQC noting there were no activities or trips out planned, with people having little to occupy or distract them.

The report noted that the home needed time to make further improvements.

Green Hill was taken over by Rooks Care in 2008, but administrators Duff & Phelps Ltd were appointed to the home in February this year.

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An East Sussex County Council spokesman said: “We have been supporting the owners of this home to meet the required standards and improvements have been made, as evidenced by the latest CQC report and the upgrading of its rating from ‘inadequate’ to ‘requires improvement’.

“As a result, and having carried out a thorough risk assessment, we have lifted the suspension on new placements at Green Hill.

“Clearly there is still work to be done and we will continue to work with the operator to help it achieve further improvement.”

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