Care Home Closes After Inspection Reveals Collapsed Ceiling and Feline Waste

A facility providing care for individuals with disabilities has ceased operations following an inspection that revealed a “partially collapsed ceiling” and “cat faeces” present on the premises. Seabank House, located in Wallasey, Merseyside, was designated as “inadequate” and placed under special measures subsequent to an inspection conducted by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in May. This establishment offered accommodation and personal care services to nine individuals, including autistic people and those with a learning disability, and was actively supporting seven residents when the inspection took place. The CQC stated that it “took urgent action to suspend the service” in May. Concurrently, Wirral Council terminated its contract with the facility and relocated its residents to alternative accommodations. The BBC has sought a statement from Seabank House’s owner. The CQC further commented, “Seabank House remains closed pending a decision from the owner about whether they are able to make the necessary improvements to keep people safe.” Karen Knapton, CQC’s deputy director of operations for north-west England, reported that during the inspection, the care home’s manager was “unaware of the recent safeguarding cases in the home which staff had told us about”. She also stated, “We weren’t assured staff were giving people their medicines safely as we found stock discrepancies and incomplete medicine charts.” Ms Knapton indicated that inspectors also had safety concerns regarding the building itself, noting a drop from the garden to the driveway that was only partially protected by a railing, alongside a fire exit that was both blocked and lacked an alarm. She remarked, “We were so concerned about people’s safety in an emergency, we reported Seabank House to the local fire service.” Furthermore, she highlighted the “partially collapsed” ceiling, described as having “insulation hanging down and debris on the floor,” and observed that “open tins of paint were stored next to incontinence products and nutritional supplement drinks.” Ms Knapton further reported, “Black mould was also found on the ceiling in the main hall and cat faeces was found on the floor upstairs.” A spokesperson for Wirral Council commented: “Poor-quality care services are not acceptable to our communities and, as the commissioning authority, we introduced an overarching policy this year which sets out a robust approach to improving care quality within the regulated services we commission.” They additionally stated: “Wirral Council took immediate action to suspend services at this setting, find new, appropriate placements for the residents affected and subsequently cancelled the contract with this organisation.”