By Isle of Wight Observer
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has downgraded Autumn House residential home, in Sandown, from ‘requires improvement’ to ‘inadequate’, and placed it into special measures following an inspection completed in March. The home, run by Autumn House Care Ltd, provides accommodation and nursing care for older people, including those living with dementia and mental health conditions.
Inspectors visited to check progress on improvements ordered at a previous inspection, but found the service had deteriorated further. Autumn House was in breach of five regulations covering safe care and treatment, staffing, person‑centred care, consent, and overall management. CQC has now imposed conditions on the home’s registration, including monthly updates, and restrictions on new admissions.
Ratings for safe, effective, and well‑led, have been downgraded to ‘inadequate’, while caring and responsive have been re‑rated as ‘requires improvement’. Special measures mean close monitoring and a set timeframe for improvements.
Neil Cox, CQC’s deputy director for adult social care in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, said inspectors found people “weren’t receiving care that was safe or tailored to their needs”, and described a “closed culture”, where staff felt unable to raise concerns. Inspectors saw a resident given food of the wrong consistency, putting them at risk of a serious lung infection, and noted that significant weight loss in some residents had not been reported to health professionals.
Inspectors also found insufficient staffing, limited engagement with residents, and poor information‑sharing with healthcare partners. Some environmental risks had been addressed, and a new manager took immediate action during the inspection.
The full report will be published on CQC’s website in the coming days.
