A damning report published by an independent inspection body has found that nearly half of the North East's care homes are 'failing' their residents.

Over a 12-month period to December 1, 2021, 150 residential care homes were found to be 'failing', according to figures obtained by Independent Care Inspections (ICI).

After inspections were carried out by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), their findings showed that 42.7 per cent of these care homes were rated as 'inadequate' or 'requires improvement.'

In the same period, the report found just two of the North East's care homes achieved a rating of 'outstanding.'

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The Northern Echo:

Kevin Groombridge, chief executive of ICI, said: “These figures show that the quality of residential care homes in the North East of England has some way to go.

"This news will be worrying for the family and friends of care home residents, but it should also be reassuring to know that the Care Quality Commission is doing its job by identifying underperforming homes.

“Receiving a rating of 'requires improvement' or 'inadequate' should be a wake up call for the operators of these care homes that things need to change rapidly.

"Delivering 'outstanding' residential care is rooted in having the discipline to follow best practice, policy and procedures, with continued audits to ensure that high levels of care are maintained."

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Meanwhile, the independent body said its main goal is to support care homes to improve care and ensure better outcomes for residents.

It said that it offers a guarantee that regulatory ratings will improve, and does so by through an evidence-based approach, rather than a judgement-based one provided by state regulators.

Adding to this, it said its reports offer "authoritative and objective evidence" that will support care homes’ improvement plans by identifying strengths and weaknesses, risk factors and the effectiveness of risk management.

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“Sometimes, knowing where to start can be difficult" Mr Groombridge added.

"Having a trusted partner who is able to provide a non-judgemental review of your policies and practices, then providing guidance to steady the ship can go a long way towards setting a course to being 'outstanding.'”

They said they also provide reliable, evidence-based information for potential residents and their families when making a placement decision.