CQC action to close Canterbury care home following inadequate inspection

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has re-rated The Chase care home in Canterbury as Inadequate following an inspection in June, with the service remaining in special measures.

The home, operated by Purelake (Chase) Limited, provides residential care for older people. Inspectors visited to assess whether improvements had been made following serious concerns identified during a previous inspection.

The CQC found that care had not improved and that people continued to be exposed to significant risks. The service remained in breach of eight regulations covering person-centred care, dignity and respect, consent, safe care and treatment, safeguarding, premises safety, staffing and leadership. A previous breach relating to staff recruitment had been resolved.

Following the inspection, the CQC took legal action to cancel the home’s registration. Although the provider initially appealed the decision, it later withdrew its appeal, meaning the cancellation will proceed. The Chase will now close, and residents will be supported to move to alternative care settings.

The home is now rated Inadequate across all five key questions, with the Effective and Responsive domains downgraded from Requires Improvement to Inadequate, while Safe, Caring and Well-led remain Inadequate.

Inspectors identified widespread concerns about people’s care and quality of life. Some residents waited up to five hours after waking before being offered food or drink, while inspectors reported a strong smell of urine throughout the home. People were not always supported to follow their religious beliefs or take part in activities that mattered to them. Inspectors also found the home’s rear garden remained locked and overgrown despite this having been raised previously, preventing residents who enjoyed gardening from accessing it.

The inspection also identified significant safeguarding and clinical concerns. Staff did not consistently understand how to report safeguarding issues, medicines were administered covertly without appropriate clinical advice, and there were occasions when no staff on duty were trained to administer emergency seizure medication. Inspectors also found residents were routinely woken between 5.00am and 5.30am for personal care without evidence this reflected their wishes or care needs.

Care planning and social support were also found to be inadequate. Some residents received only essential physical care over extended periods, with no recorded companionship or meaningful interaction, while care plans were not always updated after significant incidents such as falls, increasing the risk of repeat harm.

The CQC said it is working with the local authority to ensure residents are safely supported into alternative accommodation as the service closes.

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