A WHISTLEBLOWER believes a mental health hospital in Orford should be shut down after the service’s operator was placed into special measures.

Krinvest's supported living service for patients discharge from its Ash House independent hospital on Norris Street has been placed into special measures after being rated as inadequate by the Care Quality Commission.

During an inspection in March, undertaken at 48 hours' notice, the CQC found that the Marsh House Lane-based service employed a senior member of staff who had been barred from working in their practice for the past 10 years.

The service was found to be understaffed on a number of occasions, while recruitment process were 'very poor'.

Inspectors observed one employee with no experience or training working with a patient with complex mental health needs, which 'placed the service user at risk of harm'.

A number of employees had not been properly trained, with one employee having 'had no idea' what safeguarding was when quizzed by inspectors.

Service users did not always receive care from the carers they were expecting to, which caused them 'uncertainty and anxiety'.

Speaking to the Warrington Guardian, one of four whistleblowers who raised 28 separate 'major' concerns about the service called for Ash House to be shut down.

They said: "The way these service users are being treated is wrong, and it's not fair.

"The working conditions are horrendous, but staff are told to put up and shut up.

"It's just been horrendous and I'm not prepared to put up with this.

"Underneath it all there are amazing staff who work their backsides off - it's the fault of the executive managers who expect them to do everything.

"The only way they're going to step up and do something is if the spotlight is put on them.

"It's just terrible - Ash House should be shut down because it's not fit for purpose."

First opened in 2016, Ash House was previously placed into special measures in January last year but is now rated as good by the CQC.

A spokesman for Krinvest said: "The report makes for difficult reading but gives very clear direction on the actions we need to take and which we are taking.

“Since the inspection we have implemented a comprehensive action plan to respond to each of the inspection issues highlighted, we have recruited a new and experienced service management team to lead on the delivery of this and we have reduced the size of the service and re-focussed its activity.

“We have engaged in an open and transparent way with the regulator, our service users and the local authority teams throughout this process and will continue to do so.

“Our objective is for our supported living service to be consistently recognised as a valued member of the local health and social care community.

“It will take us some time, but we are committed to it and are keen to continue with the positive progress we have made over the past few weeks.

“The positive results we have had at Ash House will be our benchmark.”