The owner of a care home has written to the Prime Minister in a bid to try to spare the home from closure after being given an ‘inadequate’ rating by CQC.
Robert Allan wrote to Rishi Sunak after he complained that neither the Commission nor the city council had given Oakwood a chance to complete the necessary improvements following its rating.
Residents at the home were told they must leave the home by the end of the year – when the care home’s insurance would have expired.
The owner claimed this decision was due to the city council's decision to start removing residents which meant the business was no longer financially viable.
Large cobwebs and mops "black with dirt" were found in the home when inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which regulates the industry, visited in August.
It was handed an overall rating of "Inadequate" - a year after being told to improve.
Now, the 70-year-old who has owned the care home since 2007 has written to Mr Sunak in a last bid to save Oakwood.
In the letter, he said: “(I) hope that someone in some capacity can be fair with us and allow us to improve the facilities and stay open for the future, it is not safeguarding residents by moving them, the move causes immense confusion and is a known fact that it will shorten their lives.
“I must do whatever I can to stop this move and keep the residents in their homes.”
He added: “All we ask is that we would be offered a fair attempt at putting things right, we have been denied that right, that is the right of all of us, I have my own 97-year-old mother at that home and I love her very much, she wants to stay there and as a son I must do my best for her and the other residents.”
A spokesperson for Southampton City Council said: “Oakwood Care Home was inspected in August 2023 by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Following this, the provider’s quality rating was downgraded from ‘Requires Improvement’ to ‘Inadequate.’
“Representatives from Southampton City Council and the NHS have worked with the owner and manager over the last year, and longer, to support them to try to achieve the necessary improvements and to ensure the ongoing safety and wellbeing of residents in the home.
“Despite these efforts, the owner took the decision to serve notice to the home’s residents, advising that they must leave the home by the end of December and we have begun the process of securing alternative suitable accommodation.
“The CQC delivered their inspection report to the owner in late September, along with warning notices, however, no sustainable improvements have been made.
“Although the owner has been given ample time and opportunities to make changes, the CQC report highlighted that the home was ‘not safe’ and we must therefore prioritise the safety and wellbeing of residents in the home.
“Council representatives are now working closely with the 17 residents and their families to review residents’ needs, identify alternative care arrangements, and ensure continuity of care throughout this period.
“The city continues to have a surplus of care home vacancies and we are confident suitable alternative care can be arranged for those affected within the required timeframe.”
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