'Closed culture' care home rated inadequate again

A care home which discouraged whistle-blowing by staff has been rated inadequate for the third time in 15 months.

Autumn House, in Sandown, Isle of Wight, had a "closed culture" and told staff not to report concerns to regulators, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found.

However, a new manager took immediate action to address safety and other issues during an inspection in February and March, the CQC said.

Autumn House Care director Chetan Borkhatria said he recognised the seriousness of the report and added that improvements were continuing "at pace".

He said he acquired the company in March 2025, when it was already subject to compliance concerns and enforcement measures.

The CQC rated the home "inadequate" in February 2025 and May of that year.

Its most recent inspection downgraded the home from "requires improvement" to "inadequate" and placed it in special measures.

CQC regional director Neil Cox said: "Managers had told staff not to contact CQC with any concerns they had about the care being provided at Autumn House.

"The service also hadn't informed health professionals that some people had lost more than 10% of their body weight.

"People spent the majority of their time in their bedrooms or sitting in the lounge with minimal engagement from staff."

The CQC said the home was in breach of regulations relating to safety, consent and management.

However, Cox said: "It was encouraging that the new manager who started during the inspection was willing to address the concerns we found."

In a statement, Borkhatria said: "Autumn House was acquired during a period of significant operational and regulatory difficulty.

"Since taking over the service, substantial work has been undertaken to stabilise operations, strengthen governance, improve environmental safety, and rebuild leadership.

"We recognise that rebuilding trust takes time and consistent action.

"Our leadership team is fully committed to supporting staff, improving outcomes for residents, and ensuring Autumn House achieves the standards that residents, families, and regulators rightly expect."

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