A dementia care company, which “risked people’s safety” has been told to pay £50,000 after it provided care illegally.
Ivy House Day Centre Limited was found to have illegally provided personal care and accommodation after a trial at Lewes Crown Court.
After a prosecution brought by the Care Quality Commission, the company was found to have not been registered while providing services in 2019 and 2020.
Ros Sanderson, deputy director of national enforcement at the CQC, said: “It is unacceptable that the provider and director of Ivy House Day Centre Limited risked people’s safety by running a care service without the benefit of CQC registration, so I welcome the guilty verdict.
“The registration process is important to appropriately assess services before they care for people. Services are then monitored and inspected to ensure that they continue to meet fundamental standards of care that everyone should be able to expect.
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“Unregistered services operate without the benefit of our oversight, putting people at risk of harm.
“Monitoring of care services is especially important, as people who receive care can be particularly vulnerable because of their circumstances.
“When we find providers operating illegally, we do not hesitate to act to protect people.”
Health and social care providers are legally required to be registered with the CQC in order to protect people.
The day centre, whose offices are based in Eastbourne, was fined £10,000 for providing the care while not registered with the CQC, while the company’s director Jane Lowe was also ordered to pay £10,000 following an eight day trial.
Both the company and its director were also ordered to pay £30,000 in costs.
The company was found to have been providing personal care between June 2019 and February 2020 while not registered, as well as accommodation for patients until October 2019.
The company, which runs a dementia centre based in Herstmonceux, is understood to have leased a hotel where it provided personal care and accommodation, something which is not permitted under CQC regulations.
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