MORCHARD Bishop care home Ridge House has closed down after a damning report by the Care Quality Commission.

The watchdog rated the 15-bed home “requires improvement” after an inspection in May.

Shortly afterwards, the provider, Ridge House Residential Home Ltd, told the CQC it had “taken the decision to place the service into liquidation”.

The Crediton Courier has confirmed with a staff member that Ridge House has since closed.

“The provider had failed to ensure the premises was safe and well maintained,” a CQC spokesperson said.

“The building was neglected, with furniture, carpets and walls visibly worn and dirty.

“Leaks in the roof had not been fixed which meant water came into the lounge, dining room and one person’s bedroom when it rained.

“Some people had broken furniture and outdated and unsafe equipment in their bedrooms.

“Staff had reported concerns to the provider, but no action had been taken.

“The provider did not have effective governance processes in place and did not support staff well.

“Staff told us the provider was rude, dismissive and, in their view, dishonest.”

Despite this, the CQC found the registered manager “ensured people received a good standard of care”, people’s needs were “well met by a staff team who knew them well”, and people were “happy living at Ridge House”.

Residents’ relatives were happy with the care people received, but “raised concerns about the provider’s approach, attitude, and the neglect of the building”.

The provider was contacted for comment but did not respond by the time of publication.

You can read Ridge House’s inspection report in full on the CQC’s website by visiting: cqc.org.uk/location/1-140005100.

The Larches care home in Tiverton, which is part of “the extended care home family” of Ridge House, also recently shut its doors after the CQC rated it “inadequate” and put it into special measures.