To report this appalling breach of health and safety?

[MatildaTheCat]

But who to? This is the nursing home where my mil resides. We've had endless issues and cannot keep complaining for fear that they insists she leaves which she does not want.

I started a thread at Christmas about the theft of her jewellery which was never properly addressed.

I want to send these photos to the relevant authorities ( I've mentioned fire risk so many times but this exit is permanently blocked, the laundry containers actually live there). Nothing ever changes. However, I want to do so anonymously or at least not have our name involved.

Who do I send these shocking pictures to to elicit the fastest and most severe response?

Nb. This place charges £1500 or close, a week.

Definitely report. I think these would be the people www.cqc.org.uk/content/care-homes

Fire service might be interested in seeing the photos. Also there will be information on thegovernment websites about who inspects the property. They should be able to help.

I'd be sending them to the CQC personally. That's terrible.

Can you get in touch with the local Fire Service and ask them to do a spot check - no idea if this is possible - just a thought

There are links here. So they can't claim that as a one off ^ can you take pictures over s few weeks?

www.cqc.org.uk/content/report-concern-if-you-are-member-public

Thanks chocolate. CQC aren't in scotland so I had forgotten about them.

Also they've left the sling on the hoist which says to me that they're possibly using the same sling across multiple residents which is a breach of health and safety and infection control standards.

Your local hse would be interested, from the care workers POV. Also, if in Scotland, the Care Commission

have a look here: www.cqc.org.uk/content/report-concern-if-you-are-member-public

You can contact the council where the care home is, or contact CDC directly. I'm sure both would treat your complaint confidentially.

I do some work for the cqc and they would be very interested in this

CQC! Not CDC!

That's awful. I would also send to fire brigade.

The local Fire Brigade might be able to withdraw their fire certificate (if such a thing exists) if they know about it?

As well as blocking a fire exit, it is also blocking access to the fire extinguishers.

Does the care home have a stay put policy in the event of a fire? Maybe that's why the fire exit is blocked, because they don't evacuate the home in the event of a fire, so therefore, in their eyes, there's no need for access to the fire exit. It's still bloody dangerous though, because as far as I know, ambulant people, visitors etc, DO have to leave the building. Another vote for the CQC or the Scottish equivalent.

Send to both CQC and the Local Authority as this could be a Safeguarding Adults risk. Both will take an anonymous complaint.

I think the quickest way to ensure action would be to send these to the local fire officer.

Many thanks, everyone. I followed the QCC link and they cannot apparently raise the concern for you but did link to the council so I have sent an email to the H&S department at the local council. I've asked for it to be treated anonymously so now praying that they do.

Thanks for galvanising me, it's been upsetting me for ages. Pretty much sums up the senior management team unfortunately.

You can also refer the matter to the local authority for the attention of their adult social care team/ contracts department. If they also fund placements in the home they should be interested in this too ( although they are so stretched and underfunded at the moment that the may have got rid of the back room staff who actively monitor care home compliance). Worth a shot though, even if it is just recorded by them as information for the next time they look at contracts.

This is from north Yorks....

2.1 With regards to fire evacuation, there should be no stay put policy within institutional/ residential care premises unless the premises is designed and constructed for progressive horizontal evacuation in accordance with the Department of Health “Fire code” documents. Evacuation should commence as soon as possible after the alarm has sounded.
2.2 Evacuation will be carried out via progressive horizontal evacuation and progressive vertical evacuation where the home is multi-storey. Upper floors will be evacuated as part of the normal procedure.

I've worked in a care home, and hoists were often left outside a residents room like that if it was about to be used or if another carer needed it after you so it was easily visible but they were never blocking access to a door!! And this was only when no visitors were due, so early mornings or late evenings. They should have a storage area for them.

I would contact your local fire service. That photo clearly contravenes the requirements for emergency egress. Ask them who does the inspections for fire safety compliance and ask if they can do a spot check as soon as possible.

Also contact your local HSE office (or Scottish equivalent) and ask them to do an audit of the care home. There might be other hazards behind closed doors that you don't know about.

I would be reminding the care home and the authority's of the tragic deaths of 14 elderly people at Rosepark care home in Glasgow in 2004. This should never be allowed and is obviously a clear breach of h&s. Who you report it to o'm not sure but perhaps call your local fire station they may be able to tell you.

I would report it to your local Fire Service.