The Care Quality Commission has so far examined 353 care homes and domiciliary services, which offer care to the elderly in their own homes. Of these, 24 were judged to be inadequate and face closure if they do not improve swiftly, and 81 “require improvement”.
Of the rest, 245 have been judged “good”. Only three services have been given an “outstanding” rating — two domiciliary care companies and one care home, Prince of Wales House in Ipswich, Suffolk.
When the new system began, the CQC warned that it would be tough, and Andrea Sutcliffe, chief inspector of adult social care, predicted that about 5 per cent of services would get the top grade. So far it has been fewer than 1 per cent.
Homes that are judged inadequate are issued with warning notices and given deadlines for improvements to be made. However, inspectors have also closed homes on the spot.
