Rajain (Raj) Rathod has been receiving care since childhood and is living with a “severe” learning disability that requires him to use a wheelchair.
He is one of the 11 adults that are residents at the Dunelm care facility in Grove Road, a round-the-clock nursing home.
His parents, Chiman and Geeta Rathod, made the decision to move him into the facility after Raj suffered an epileptic fit that saw him fall from a flight of stairs and be hospitalised.
Initially, Chiman and Geeta were “happy” with the care Raj was receiving at Dunelm.
Chiman said: “He was given the life that we could not give him at our end because of restrictions.
“He was taken out so much into outside life. We were happy and we thought ‘this is the right place for him’.”
Raj’s family began having concerns about the care home, which is managed by Vibrance, in December 2024 after noticing what they believe to be “fabricated ghost hours” following internal changes to the charity.
Raj is entitled to 28 hours-a-week of care funded by NHS Continuing Healthcare, a scheme that the NHS says is designated for those with “long-term complex health needs”.
An additional four hours are expected to be used daily for one-to-one individual care to help encourage his mobility and provide Raj, originally from Newham, with access to the external community.
However, his brother Lord Jay Taylor claims that these four hours have not been fulfilled in line with the care plan, leaving the family questioning the legitimacy of the hours being recorded by Dunelm.
Raj’s family have appealed to official bodies such as watchdog Care Quality Commission (CQC), NHS Continuing Healthcare, the local Integrated Care Board, Redbridge Council’s safeguarding team and more in search for answers.
In an email chain seen by this paper, Vibrance was asked directly in May for a “breakdown” of how these additional one-to-one hours of care for Raj were being used daily.
A senior member of staff at Vibrance was told by Continuing Healthcare Newham that without the opportunity for Raj to be given the extra hours of support daily in accordance with his support plan, “his quality of life will be compromised”.
In December 2024, the family was advised that Raj’s provision of one-to-one hours had “never been stopped”, but in April this year they had it confirmed over email that he was no longer receiving the four hours each day because his “attention does not extend that long”.
In June, Continuing Health Newham reiterated that these hours should mean that one member of staff supports Raj with specific tasks, and activity worker input should not be included in these additional four hours.
A time sheet seen by this paper from August has revealed that on one occasion, one-and-a-half hours were allocated as one-to-one care in which Raj went to rest and was left listening to music in his room.
Another time sheet from the same month revealed that one-and-a-half hours had been registered as Raj’s one-to-one care, the description of which was listed as “parents visit”.
Despite not driving, Raj’s parents are now travelling almost daily to Dunelm care home to keep their son “happy” whilst also keeping “an eye on him”, particularly important given that he is non-verbal.
Chiman admitted he and his wife feel “guilty” about their son’s experience at the facility.
He said: “What we see now is he is totally withdrawn.
“You cannot get through to him, and he cannot get through to you.
“He has got no sense of danger or whether he’s in the danger zone – what to do, what not to do. That’s where the carers come in for his safety.
“We hoped one day, when our eyes are closed and we go into our own graves, ‘at least we’ll die peacefully.’ But not now.
“In other words, we have lost the faith, trust and confidence in this management altogether.”
The family has been fighting for transparency surrounding Raj’s care for an extended period, and Jay described the process as “hell”.
He said: “It’s actually heartbreaking to see that this is happening in today’s society to be honest.
“It’s heartbreaking for my sibling, but also for my parents because it’s stress that they don’t need.
“They’re elderly and it’s just got to the stage where they should be enjoying their retirement, and they cannot do that.
“I work full time – this has added on extra stress; I’ve got no time for myself. This has added on extra work, which is fine, because Raj’s care and his needs come first.
“We have to be the voice. My parents are his voice, and I am their voice.”
According to Redbridge Council, “immediate risks” at the care home have been addressed.
A spokesperson said: “The safety and welfare of our most vulnerable residents is our top priority.
“We were very concerned to learn of the allegations made about this independent care provider, and we are treating the matter with urgency.
“Together with our partners at the North East London Integrated Care Board and neighbouring local authorities, we have already met with the provider to discuss the situation.
“We have asked the care provider to take appropriate steps to address the concerns raised and to submit a report outlining the actions taken.”
Dunelm’s last full inspection report was published by CQC in 2019, with a review conducted in 2023.
At present, its rating continues to be listed as ‘good’.
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A CQC spokesperson said: “Concerns have been raised to us about Mr Rajain Rathod’s care at Dunelm care home.
“We’re liaising with the local authority to ensure people’s safety and assess whether we need to take regulatory action.”
We contacted Vibrance for a comment but did not receive a response.
