Care home owner angered by '˜special measures' report

Oakendale House Residential Care Home in Rose Terrace, Ashton, Preston failed checks in all five key areas of care for its elderly residents.

But joint proprietor Raja Singh criticised the Care Quality Commission for publishing its findings now - almost six months after the inspection.

“We have made significant progress since this inspection,” he said. “We’re disappointed that the report has been issued without having the opportunity to comment on the points raised. This shouldn’t happen.”

CQC inspectors visited Oakendale - the former family home of celebrated historian AJP Taylor - last October to check if improvements demanded during a previous assessment in June had been carried out. But the inspection report was only published last week, showing the home had dropped from “requires improvement” to “inadequate.”

“We found that although the provider had begun to make improvements in some areas, they were not yet meeting legal requirements,” said the CQC report. “The overall rating for this service is inadequate and the service is therefore in special measures.”

But Mr Singh argued publication of October’s findings six months late was unfair, as a lot of work had since been carried out to turn the home around.

“We are working closely with Lancashire County Council and Clinical Commission Groups, Quality Improvement Process and the CQC to make the necessary improvements,” he said. “We have turned around the majority of the problems we have been facing and we are looking forward to the home being able to receive residents again.”