'Care has deteriorated' say inspectors at a Devon service for 50 people with autism and learning difficulties
The Care Quality Commission has just published its findings
Burrow Down Community Support in Paignton is now rated as 'inadequate', down from 'good', and 'placed it into special measures to protect people' following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission.
Burrow Down Community Support is a supported living service for autistic people and people with a learning disability run by Burrow Down Support Services. The service supports 50 people, 26 of whom received a regulated activity.
Following an inspection in July and August, inspectors found that 'care had deteriorated, and the service was now in breach of nine regulations in relation to safeguarding, safe care and treatment, need for consent, person-centred care, dignity, recruitment, staffing, notification of incidents and how well the service was being managed'.
A spokesperson added: "This meant people were at risk of receiving care and support that did not promote their well-being or protect them from the risk of avoidable harm."
Stefan Kallee CQC deputy director of adult social care in Devon, said: "When we inspected Burrow Down Community Support, we found poor leadership that had allowed a closed culture to develop, where people weren't consistently treated with dignity and respect, and where basic rights were compromised.
“Although people told us they felt safe, records showed staff sometimes used punishment to control behaviour. People were told they could be denied outings or family visits unless they behaved in certain ways, meaning basic rights had to be ‘earned.’ These practices revealed a culture that restricted autonomy and undermined dignity.
“Leaders hadn't identified or addressed serious concerns. Staff weren't always protecting people from abuse or harm because leaders didn't spot when things went wrong. For example, since November 2024 there have been five incidents where people hit each other. None of these were reported to the local authority's safeguarding team or to CQC as required.
“People also weren't always supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Staff restricted people's access to their own belongings and areas of their homes without checking if they had capacity to consent to these arrangements or following a best interests process.
“We expect adult social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to services that most people take for granted.
“Following the inspection, we sought assurances from Burrow Down that they’d taken action to strengthen oversight and support day-to-day management and told them to provide us with an action plan demonstrating how they’ll drive improvements. They’ve appointed new staff and enhanced training to improve the quality and safety of care provided. CQC will continue to monitor the service and work with system partners closely."