A care home has shut down after repeatedly failing to take action over alleged abuse claims.
Trelawney House, in the village of Breage, Cornwall, never reported the complaints to the relevant authorities - even months after they were raised.
Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections have labelled the majority of the care homes controlled by Spectrum, which ran Trelawney House, as ‘requires improvement’ or ‘inadequate’ - the two lowest rankings.
The CQC said Trelawney House had failed to appropriately report and investigate incidents of alleged abuse - and failed to take action to manage the risks posed by the alleged abuser.
This issue had first been identified in an inspection of the service on June 10, 2021.
There were so few staff at the care home that one person was regularly locked in their own room, CornwallLive reports.
The service's new manager had completed a safeguarding referral following an incident of alleged abuse.
However, months later this information had still not been shared with the local authorities safeguarding team, or the CQC.
The provider also failed to take action to manage the risks posed by the alleged abuser.
The nature of the abuse claims was not published in the full report.
Trelawney House was a residential care home providing personal care to six people with a learning disability and/or autism.
It was part of the Spectrum (Devon and Cornwall Autistic Community Trust) group, a provider with other similar services across Cornwall that have been well documented for their failings in recent years.
The service now has 15 facilities as Trelawney - the 16th - is no longer operating and has been removed from its website.
CQC reports on Spectrum's facilities have revealed unsafe conditions for both staff and residents, mainly focused around understaffing.
The latest inspection report for Trelawney House specifically, which details how the service is no longer operating, was published on October 18, 2022.
It follows an inspection on September 30, 2021, and a further visit on October 6, 2021.
It found Trelawney House to be 'inadequate' or 'requires improvement' in all areas with concerns over abuse, safety, and a lack of staff.
The report said the service was regularly found to be short staffed. This was also found during the earlier June inspection.
While agency staff were allocated to support the service, staffing levels were so bad that one person was regularly restricted by being locked in their room.
Records showed that the service was aiming to achieve minimum safe staffing levels within the service and at night the service was also regularly operated at emergency minimum staffing levels.
On one occasion the night staffing level had been deemed unsafe by the CQC.
The previous rating for this service was 'requires improvement'.
The service has now been rated inadequate after having been rated 'requires improvement' for the last four consecutive inspections - putting it in special measures.
The CQC said: "We have identified that the warning notices issued following the last inspection in relation to staffing and good governance had not been complied with.
"In addition, we identified repeated breaches in relation to safeguarding people from abuse and notifying CQC of significant events.
"New breaches in relation to person-centred care, safe care and treatment, meeting nutritional and hydration needs and premises and equipment, were also identified.
"We took legal steps to remove the service from the providers registration. The service is no longer operating."
After a litany of repeated CQC inspections slamming its various services over lack of safety and understaffing the care provided by Spectrum at a dozen homes in Cornwall has been handed to a new provider, Salutem Care and Education.
Spectrum has been approached for comment.
