The Care Quality Commission has welcomed the publication of the Safeguarding Adult Review of Mendip House by Somerset Safeguarding Adults Board.
Andrea Sutcliffe, Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care, said: "I am disappointed that the National Autistic Society (NAS), which has a proud history of championing the rights of autistic people, allowed this bullying culture to prevail.
"We share the Board’s concerns over the outdated design of services like Mendip House: these days we would be unlikely to register a new service like this, and we are monitoring those services that already exist ever more closely.
"I am sorry that we did not do more when concerns were first raised with us instead of accepting assurances from the council and the NAS that those concerns had been dealt with."
Note: When CQC inspected in May 2016, Mendip House was rated Inadequate. CQC proposed to cancel its registration, but the NAS decided to close the service of its own accord.
Read more about CQC’s response to the Safeguarding Adult Review of Mendip House.
I am disappointed that the National Autistic Society, which has a proud history of championing the rights of autistic people, allowed this bullying culture to prevail.
Andrea Sutcliffe, Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care