PRIVATE care homes failing to provide acceptable levels of care will be "held to account", a health chief has warned.
Sean Holland, the chief social worker at the Department of Health, was speaking after the publication of two independent probes into care failings at Dunmurry Manor home on the outskirts of Belfast.
Serious concerns were raised by relatives of elderly residents and former employees in late 2016.
One of the reports focussed on current care standards while the second examined the response of the health watchdog, the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) after problems were reported.
Both reviews were ordered by the Department.
Safeguarding concerns, storage of medicine and poor treatment of vulnerable people were among the issues identified at the 76-bed home, which also provided care for dementia patients.
Such was the level of concern that the Commissioner for Older People ordered a third separate probe last year, which is due to be published later this week and is expected to be highly critical.
In a statement released by the department yesterday, a spokesman said that a review concluded that Dunmurry Manor is "a safe place for people to live quality lives".
Meanwhile, an assessment by the RQIA found it had "promoted good practice, encouraged improvements and took action to protect people using the service when poor practice was identified."
Mr Holland said: "I recognise the concerns of residents and their families when care falls short; it is vital that effective action is taken to deliver improvements and put things right.
"...Care providers will continue to be held to account, for instance through enforcement action as happened in this case. They will also be supported in addressing problems and making necessary improvements."
