RESIDENTS will be moved out of a care home which has been rated inadequate twice due to ongoing concerns about how they are treated. 

Southend Council, Essex County Council and the Southend Clinical Commissioning Group are ending their contracts with Strathmore Care and moving residents out of Fairview House care home in the next three weeks.

The authorities say the move is to protect residents due to ongoing concerns about the quality of care being given.

Fairview House was slammed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in their latest report, which was published earlier this month, after it was discovered that staff were not fully compliant with Covid-19 measures, including the use of PPE.

During both days of the inspection staff wore wear face masks covering their mouth, but these did not always cover their nose, while some were spotted consistently touching their face and their mask.

Strathmore Care previously stated a manager had been fired due to them "not being up to the task" of improving the home.

Southend Care staff have been placed in the home for the next three weeks to ensure residents and families are safe supported until they move out of the home.

Anne Jones, deputy cabinet member for adult social care and health said: “We have collectively made this decision in liaison with NHS Southend CCG and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) because of significant ongoing concerns about poor quality of support and care people are receiving and the lack of any sustained improvement.

“Following further visits and a meeting this weekend it was clear that, despite the significant intervention and substantial extra staffing provided, the service was not going to improve in the long-term.

“Taking this action is not something we do lightly, but it is the right course of action to ensure the safety and protection of vulnerable residents.”

Tricia D’Orsi, Deputy Accountable Officer for the Southend CCG, said: “Since January 2020 we have been working hard with both councils and the CQC to monitor the care and treatment of residents in Fairview House with a number of planned and unannounced visits taking place and advice and support offered.

“Despite the significant support and intervention provided we are concerned that the residents remain at risk of poor quality care and support.

“Additional concerns about the safety of residents have also been raised in recent days and it has therefore been decided to move residents out of the home.

"This is never a decision taken lightly, but one that had to be made in the interests of the residents and families involved.”

The council has not said how many of the 53 residents housed in the care home will be moved out.

John Spence, Essex county councillor responsible for health and adult social care, said: “The safety of our residents is always paramount so we share the disappointment expressed by Southend Council and support their actions.

"We are very sorry about the disruption to the lives of the residents there and will do our best to ensure a smooth transfer to homes of their choice.”

A spokesperson for Fairview House said: “We are deeply saddened by the council’s decision to withdraw their contract with Fairview House.

“While we accept there have been some specific shortcomings identified, our team was in the process of addressing the feedback from the councils and the Care Quality Commission, all of which we take extremely seriously.

"For example, days before we received this news, we had appointed an experienced interim home manager as well as an external specialist care quality consultancy to help us improve the home.

"The council was aware of and supportive of these plans, however we did not have the opportunity for both appointments to get to work and have an impact before the council changed their mind and withdrew their contract.

“We understand this will be an upsetting time for residents, their families and staff, and our priority remains making sure everyone is kept safe at this challenging time.

"Over the coming weeks we are committed to working closely with Southend Council, Essex County Council and the Southend CCG, as well as families and their loved ones, to ensure a smooth transition.

"Where possible, we will seek to relocate staff and residents to other homes in the group, with both councils continuing to work with the organisation overall.”