RESIDENTS of a Wollaston care home have had to find new homes following its closure after a damning CQC report raised concerns that people were put at risk of catching Covid.

Rosemary Retirement Home in Vicarage Road has closed its doors after the Care Quality Commission rated the facility inadequate.

Dudley Council said its health and social care staff worked to help relocate 18 residents and the CQC confirmed it was the care home provider’s decision to close the home.

News of the closure comes just weeks after the highly critical CQC report was published on September 24.

It said although residents and people spoken to gave positive feedback about the home and staff inspectors "found significant shortfalls throughout the inspection which impacted on the safety and quality of care for people".

The report said inspectors were not assured the care home provider had taken effective action to ensure government guidance was followed after a Covid-19 outbreak and that due to issues identified - the local authority had provided extra care staff to support the service.

It added that infection prevention control measures in place were not safe and "put people and staff at risk of contracting the virus".

Inspectors said there was no guidance for staff to follow if a person with diabetes became unwell and staff did not have the required protocols in place to administer ‘as required’ medicines.

The report went on to say: "People were not always treated with dignity and respect. Staff did not always treat people with compassion. We observed some kind and caring interactions, however we also observed people were left for long time periods with little stimulation or staff engagement."

Care plans had also not been consistently reviewed to ensure all information reflected people's needs, and the overall dining experience for people required improvement.

The report did say people were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the "least restrictive way possible and in their best interests", and that processes were in place to safeguard people from abuse.

But overall the home was given a rating of 'inadequate' and was placed in 'special measures' - to be kept under review.

The CQC, however, said the provider had since taken the decision to close the home.

Councillor Nicolas Barlow, Dudley Council's cabinet member for health and adult social care, said: “We are aware of the closure and have supported residents to find suitable alternative accommodation.

“The council worked closely with residents and their families, the Care Quality Commission and the management team at Rosemary Retirement Home."