Castleford care home given warning by Care Quality Commission

A report said changes needed to be made with regard to safety and leadership at Whitwood House.

The Lumley Street home offers care for up to 16 people with learning disabilities or autism.

The CQC said: “We have taken action to serve a warning notice to Living Ambitions Limited on June 5, 2025, for failing to meet the regulation in relation to ‘good governance’ at Whitwood House.”

In the “safety” section of its latest report it said: "At our last assessment we rated this key question requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has remained requires improvement.

"This meant some aspects of the service were not always safe and there was limited assurance about safety.

"There was an increased risk that people could be harmed.

"Staff did not always listen to concerns about safety and did not always investigate and report safety events.

"Lessons were not always learnt to continually identify and embed good practice.”

It said the leadership of the home also required improvement.

The report said: “People did not always feel they could speak up and that their voice would be heard.

“The provider did not always have clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability or good governance.

"They did not always act on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, or share this securely with others when appropriate.”

But the CQC said people at the home were treated well by staff.

It said: “People were supported by staff who treated them with care, kindness and respect. People were placed at the centre of their care.

"There was a focus on improving people’s quality of life and ensuring they were able to participate in activities that were meaningful to them.

"There was a relaxed atmosphere, reflective of a family home, where relationships between staff and people were positive."

A Lifeways spokesperson said: “We welcome the latest CQC inspection report from Whitwood House. Independent inspections play an important part in supporting our transformation and continuous improvement of what we do and how we do it.

“At Whitwood House, our team has worked hard to ensure the people we support receive high-quality care, treatment, and support which enables them to achieve positive outcomes and enjoy a good quality of life.

“We’re pleased the inspection found improvements in our effectiveness since the last visit, with our rating moving from ‘requires improvement’ to ‘good’.

“We’re especially pleased that the report recognises the compassionate, person-centred approach of our team and the way they meet the needs of the incredible people we support.

“But we also know there is more to do. The report highlighted areas where we can improve, including governance, communication, and monitoring.

"We’ve already robustly addressed the issues in the warning notice and we’re confident that we will be found to be compliant at the next inspection.

“Indeed, we have commissioned an independent inspection to validate our progress and give us extra assurance that support is of the required quality.”