Vulnerable residents in a QUARTER of care homes in England ‘are receiving substandard care’

A quarter of all care homes in England are providing substandard care for the elderly and disabled, a damning report suggests.

The worst affected area is Newham in east London, where more than 60 per cent of beds are in homes deemed inadequate or requires improvement.

In Manchester, half of all beds are in settings which are considered substandard by the Care Quality Commission watchdog. 

The standard is only marginally better in Camden, north London, where 48 per cent of beds fall below par.

Across England, nearly one in four care home beds (23 per cent) are in homes which are considered to be failing their vulnerable residents, the BBC reports. 

Campaigners say the lack of quality care has left families with no choice but to accept an under-performing home for their older, and often disabled, relatives.

Other lagging areas include Tower Hamlets in east London where 47 per cent of care home beds are failing and Calderdale, West Yorkshire, at 46 per cent.

The percentage is 44 per cent in Luton in Bedfordshire, 43 per cent in Bexley, south-east London, 43 per cent in Hackney, east London, and 42 per cent in Liverpool. 

Caroline Abrahams, of Age UK, said: ‘It is unacceptable that some older people have no choice but to move into a care home that has been rated inadequate because it’s the only option available.

‘The sad truth is that following years of underfunding and neglect, the social care system has now more or less completely broken down in some parts of the country.’ 

The analysis was done by the think tank Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR). It accused some care home providers of ‘putting profits before people’. 

It found the picture was less bleak in other parts of the country including Southampton, Windsor and Maidenhead, Peterborough and Kingston in West London, where under 5 per cent of beds were deemed to be failing.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: ‘We expect everyone to be able to access high quality, safe and compassionate care – already 84 per cent of providers are rated good or outstanding by the Care Quality Commission.

‘People who receive care and their families should be able to have confidence that their care provider has a sustainable future.

‘We have given local authorities an additional £1.5 billion for social care next year, on top of their existing grants, to continue to stabilise the sector.’