A provider of an Eastbourne based care service Ivy House Day Centre Limited and its director Jane Lowe have been sentenced at Lewes Crown Court today (Friday 24 March) as a result of the prosecution brought by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The director of the service, Jane Lowe was fined a total of £10,000 after being found guilty of providing personal care and accommodation illegally after an eight day trial.
The company that runs the service Ivy House Day Centre Limited was also fined a total of £10,000
Both director and company were ordered to pay a total of £30,000 costs.
CQC brought the prosecution after it received information that Ivy House Day Centre Limited was providing the regulated activities of personal care between 3 June 2019 and 24 February 2020 and accommodation for persons requiring nursing or personal care between 3 June 2019 and 31 October 2019 without being registered with the CQC to do so.
In order to protect people, it is a legal requirement for any provider of health and social care in England to be registered with CQC.
Ros Sanderson, CQC deputy director of national enforcement, 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.
“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.”