Wallasey care home slammed for locking residents indoors
- Published
Inspectors were told doors and gates at Dukes House were locked "because people escape"
Care home residents who were locked indoors by staff had their human rights "systematically breached", an inspection found.
The Care Quality Commission said it was unlawful to routinely secure doors and gates at Dukes House in Wallasey, Merseyside.
The inspection, which was sparked by a whistleblower, has the home's rating from good to inadequate.
Its owners Lifeways said the company was working to improve standards.
The report said the home had a "very restrictive environment" and the provider "had taken depriving people of their liberties for granted".
Many of the residents suffered learning disabilities and autism, the report noted.
Care homes must follow a strict process called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards in cases where it is necessary to restrict a resident's freedom.
'People escape'
This is carried out by an assessor approved by either the local authority or health officials.
The report found that some people's care at Dukes House was "provided in a manner outside the legal framework."
It stated: "By not following these legal procedures the provider had systematically breached people's human rights and was depriving people of their liberty when they had no authorisation to do so."
The CQC said the inspection was prompted by "concerns about the leadership of the service form a whistleblower".
Staff had no oversight or were "confused" about who had legally authorised door-locking and who had not, it found.
The report added: "Everybody was treated the same and as if they had restrictions of their liberty in place."
It also noted a staff member had told inspectors doors and gates were locked "because people escape".
A spokesman for Lifeways said the company was "already working" to improve services before the inspection, and "has continued to make improvements since receiving the report".