What is going on????

One of the care homes in our small group has come under serious scrutiny and Enforcement Notices for what is essentially minor errors in care plans, yet the following have been ignored by CQC in previous inspections with the previous owner:

1.  We have found no evidence of Gas Safety Certificates prior to the present owner taking over.

2.  No evidence of 5 year electrical safety certificates prior to the present owner taking over.

3.  Last Fire Risk Assessment in 2010 with no updates or reviews.

4.  In 14 years CQC inspectors have missed that the previous owner had been in breach of the Care         Standards by not providing a safe lockable place in residents bedrooms.

5.  Boilers had not been maintained, one boiler did not even have the outer safety cover.

6.  Boilers in such a poor state of repair had to be instantly condemned and replaced.

This home has echoes of Copthorne, it was getting continual good inspections despite not being full and not meeting safety standards in many areas. Since the present owner has taken over, the boilers have been replaced and the home has a gas safety certificate, the home has a five year electrical certificate after extensive work has been completed. There is a new Fire Risk assessment in place and the Fire Officer inspected the home at the inspectors request and found only minor problems all which have been rectified within two weeks. All the residents have a lockable place for their valuables.

Prior to the home being purchased by the present owner, it was in such a poor state of repair that it was an accident waiting to happen. The boilers were turned on just after the new owner took over and instantly there was a serious electrical short which could have turned into a major fire, this was rectified at a cost of over £2,000 and the boilers made safe to run until they could be shut down for the summer and replaced. At least two fuse boxes had to be replaced and major electrical work completed before we could achieve the 5 year electrical safety certificate, so the obvious question is, 'Why was this inspected and found to be either adequate or good?'