Care home 'inadequate' despite vow to improve

A care home in Lincolnshire has been rated inadequate after the owner said it was "committed to improving" following a previous inspection.

Welham House in Spilsby was found to have not managed medicines safely or protect people from the risk of abuse, following an assessment by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in June.

The home, which provides residential care for people under 65 with learning disabilities, previously went from "good" to "adequate" in September 2023.

Boulevard Care Ltd, which owns Welham House, said it had taken "immediate action to put things right".

The CQC assessed the care home again between 18 and 25 June.

At the time of the assessment, 10 people were using the service, which caters for up to 13 people.

Findings included "medicines not safely managed", people not always protected from "the risk of abuse and improper treatment" and residents not supported to have "maximum choice and control of their lives".

Welham House was rated inadequate overall and for categories including "safe" and "well-led".

The care home has been closed as a result of the rating and the residents have been moved to alternative facilities, a spokesperson for Boulevard Care said.

The CQC said it will publish any information on civil or criminal enforcement action against the provider on its website after any representations or appeals have concluded.

Boulevard Care said 10 months ago it was "disappointed" by the downgrade from September's inspection and that it was "committed to improving".

A spokesperson said: "Resident safety is our number one priority and as soon as we became aware of issues at Welham House we took immediate action."

The firm added that it is "very sorry for the disruption and any upset that this has caused to our residents and their families".

The CQC said it takes urgent enforcement action as a "last resort" and told the BBC it was "concerned about people's safety" due to the serious issues found by inspectors.

Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here