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TRAGIC RECORD: The Whitecroft residential home.

HADLEIGH-based Runwood Homes run three care homes in the borough - Bennetts Lodge and Carolyne Lodge in Chadwell St Mary and Leatherland Lodge in South Ockendon.

The company operates 34 homes and day centres across Essex and Hertfordshire. Its chairman and principal shareholder is 61-year-old Benfleet businessman Gordon Sanders, who has been named in the Sunday Times Rich List.

The company's last declared accounts, for the six months to March 31 last year, showed a dividend of £6million to its three shareholders, Mr Sanders, Evelyn Sanders and Janice Elizabeth Sanders. In the previous year the dividend was £1.3m.

Runwood Homes came to the attention of the media in 2004 when the manager of Whitecroft Nursing Home, Stanford Road, Orsett, was arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter following the deaths of three residents.

The report highlighted a lack of food or drink for patients, misuse of medication and a failure to maintain a safe, clean environment.

Thurrock Disability Network director John Williams said: "You would have hoped that after 2004, all their homes would have been gleaming examples of good practice."

Criticisms of Bennetts Lodge include residents sweeping the floor as the only activity observed; only one residents' meeting in a year, staff heard using inappropriate language towards residents; many staff had no training in dementia care, no knowledge of residents' background, no training in various health and safety procedures and an inadequate procedure for recording complaints.

Criticisms of Carolyne House included senior staff had no training in dementia care, only 10 per cent of staff had the required level of NVQ's (Government required level is 50 per cent), staff did not have adequate understanding in protection of vulnerable people and staff feel they are short staffed.

The report also noted that bathrooms were out of order, tumble driers broken and there were queues to use the toilet.

Criticisms of Leatherland Lodge included having to issue an enforcement notice regarding care plans; staff did not always act accordingly to residents with challenging behaviour; the incorrect recording of a residents weight loss led to a significant weight loss not being acted upon.

One bathroom was out of order, wheelchairs were in poor condition, staff were seen performing a number of tasks with the same gloves and there was a member of staff without a CRB check in place.

Managing Director for Runwood Homes Logan Logeswaran said: "We have made great efforts to take on board the recommendations made by CSCI. Both Chadwell homes were inspected in November and CSCI noted that they were greatly improved."

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