Councillors to look at ways to improve care homes

Members of the social care improvement committee will be asked to endorse the recommendations which followed the death of two residents at Weaver Court residential care home in Idle and one death at Lynfield Mount Hospital’s Highfield Unit.

NHS Yorkshire and Humber looked at the internal reports into the three “serious untoward incidents” as well as reviewing the visits by the Care Quality Commission at Weaver Court which resulted in the home being given a zero star rating.

The review concluded there had been substandard practice, but that action plans had been immediately co-ordinated to address the concerns and significant improvements had already been made.

The subsequent action plan includes points such as: ensuring that holistic care assessments and appropriate documentation is used in the care of all people with learning disabilities continuing to performance manage all relevant providers ensuring a commitment to agreed standards of clinical processes based on the best evidence ensuring arrangements are in place to performance manage the introduction of the Learning Disability Commissioning Strategy ensuring that adult safeguarding is a high priority within all partner organisations.

A joint statement issued at the time by NHS Bradford and Airedale, Bradford Council and Bradford District Care Trust, said: “It is fully recognised that regrettably there was substandard practice across health organisations and social care.

“The findings did not state this led directly to the deaths of the three people concerned. All three had complex health needs and died from natural causes.

“The report also recognises action was taken immediately to address these concerns and minimise future risks, and improvements to services have been made which have been recognised by external review.”

The meeting takes place at City Hall from 5pm.