REVEALED: Lancashire's best and worst care homes

In the past 18 months alone, 13 care homes and 345 beds have been lost across the county, meaning that 228 users were relocated to other practices.

But the quality of care people receive can often be a postcode lottery.

Our investigation into the state of care in Lancashire has found discrepancies in the level of care people recieve in different parts of the county.

In a report to Lancashire County Council’s Health and Wellbeing Board, it was found that of the 421 rated practices across the county more than a quarter were failing their service users.

More than 100 - 25 per cent - were told they require improvement in their services and nine - two per cent - were rated inadequate.

A total of 304 - 72 per cent - were rated good but just six were given the highest outstanding rating.

While two of the ountstanding care homes were in Wyre district there were none in Preston, Chorley, Ribble Valley, West Lancashire and parts of East Lancashire at the time of the report.

Lancashire County Council’s cabinet member for adult services, Coun Graham Gooch, said: “We’re pleased that 74 per cent of Lancashire’s care homes are rated as either good or outstanding, but clearly we want to see that number increase steadily month by month as a result of improvement activities.

“CQC inspections are rightly very rigorous and help ensure residential homes provide the very best care possible. It is very tough for care homes to achieve a Good or Outstanding rating.

“When care homes receive Requires Improvement or Inadequate ratings, we work closely with colleagues from the CQC and NHS clinical commissioning groups to address the issues raised.

“Our specialised team of safeguarding staff work with managers on action plans that will help them to improve standards.

“When homes close, we act quickly to ensure people are relocated in suitable, alternative care homes as quickly as possible.

“We’re always looking to improve our support for private care homes. We’re currently considering ways we could provide extra leadership support to help prevent care standards falling and ensure fewer homes have to close.

“The residential homes for older people that Lancashire County Council runs are an important part of the care market. We’re investing in a £6m improvement programme to bring the buildings up to a higher standard and ensure they are good places to live for people with complex health needs such as dementia.”

Deputy chief inspector of adult social care for Care Quality Commission, Debbie Westhead, said: “Our inspectors visit every care home in Lancashire to ensure people are getting a good standard of care.

“We monitor, inspect and regulate, publishing what we find including giving homes a rating to help people make informed decisions 
about their care, or the care of a loved one,” she added.

“We set out what good and outstanding care looks like and we make sure the care that services are providing, never fall below a set of fundamental standards.

“Where we find poor care, we will use our powers to take action which can include removing a provider’s registration or even prosecuting them through a court of law.”

LCC care homes

As of October 2017, Lancashire County Council has placed 5,300 adults in long-term residential and nursing care, a number which is expected to rise to 6,000 by March 2020.

Of the 17 care homes run by the county council - two of which are rated as ‘requires improvement’ and 15 rated ‘good’ - the average weekly cost for someone receiving care in one of these homes is £630, with the average weekly income received from people paying for care being £518 per week for mainstream care and £549.85 per week for dementia care.

The self-funder in-house care rates are set to increase by £100 in April following a decision taken by cabinet in September.

Some ratings from CQC

Outstanding

South Ribble: Chestnut Grove Rest Home

Wyre: Cornmill Nursing and Residential Care Home

Wyre: Rossall Care Home

Fylde: Starr Hills

Lancaster: Beaumont College

Burnley: Burnley, Pendle & Rossendale Short Break Services

Inadequate

Preston: Grimsargh House Care Home

Preston: Swansea Terrace

South Ribble: Melrose Residential Home

Wyre: SONACare

Fylde: Chimes Residential Care Home

Lancaster: Greenroyd Rest Home

Lancaster: Morecambe Bay Care Home

Care home costs for pensioners

Data compiled by Prestige Nursing and Care has reveals that the annual cost of living in a care home in the north west is now £29,432 a year - up more than seven per cent since 2016.

The data also states that the average pensioner income has decreased by 2.2 per cent to £14,196, leaving a care cost shortfall of a whopping £15,236.

Managing director of Prestige, Jonathan Bruce, said: “It is alarming to see care home costs continue to rise so out of sync with pensioners’ incomes.

“With later life incomes stagnating, the rising cost of care will eat away at a growing number of families’ finances as they use their assets to meet bills for vital support.