An investigation is underway after an elderly care home resident suffered serious injuries in an alleged assault in the early hours of the morning.

The resident at Briarwood Care Home, in Eston, suffered serious facial injuries following the incident on Friday, June 10.

Police were called to the home in Normanby Road after they were contacted by the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) in the early hours of last Friday.

The woman, believed to be in her 90s, was taken to James Cook University Hospital where she is still being treated.

Read more: Briarwood Care Home in special measures as CQC unearth failures

A woman in her 30s was arrested on suspicion of assault and has been released under investigation.

A spokesperson for Briarwood Care Home said: “Cleveland Police have confirmed there is an ongoing investigation into the events dated 10th June 2022 and all professional agencies are working closely together in this matter and we are awaiting further instructions from Cleveland Police and Social Care Services.”

The Care Quality Commission, the watchdog for care homes, said it is aware of the investigation.

A spokesperson said: “We are aware of an incident at Briarwood Care Home in Eston. As this is subject to a police investigation, we cannot comment further.

“While CQC is not an investigative body, we use all information received to inform our continued monitoring and inspection of services.”

The home, which is run by Hill Care, was put into special measures earlier this year after CQC inspectors found a catalogue of problems.

It was rated inadequate and told to make urgent improvements after it was found there were not enough trained staff to keep people safe.

Other problems included parts of the home being dirty, with food debris on the floor, and controlled drugs not being disposed of correctly and medicines not managed properly.

The CQC visit was prompted by concerns received about the safe care and treatment of people. At the time, a spokesperson for the home said it had taken immediate steps to rectify the issues and had submitted an action plan to the CQC.

Read more: Darlington carers 'suspended' after resident allegedly pinned down at care home

A spokesperson for Cleveland Police said: “Police were contacted by ambulance service colleagues in the early hours of last Friday after they were called to a care home.  An elderly lady had sustained serious facial injuries and was taken to James Cook University Hospital where she remains.

“Officers are working with the lady, her relatives, the care home and local authority to establish how the lady came by her injuries.

“A woman in her 30s was arrested on suspicion of assault and she was interviewed then released under investigation while enquiries continue.”

A spokesperson for Redcar and Cleveland Council said: “Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is saddened to hear about this very serious incident, and we hope the lady makes a swift and full recovery from her injuries.

“Our officers continue to work closely with the police and the care home, and once agreed, the council will undertake safeguarding enquiries.

"We remain committed to ensuring our most vulnerable residents receive a high standard of quality care and at this time we are continuing to put measures in place to ensure the safety of existing residents.”

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