Prevention of Future Deaths reports · 2025

Sonia Sore

Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths, reference 2025-0305, written 17 Jun 2025. A coroner writes one of these when an inquest reveals a risk that could cause further deaths unless something changes.

Date of report17 Jun 2025
Reference2025-0305
DeceasedSonia Sore
CoronerDarren Stewart
Coroner areaSuffolk
CategoryCare Home Health related deaths
Sourcejudiciary.uk record · original PDF
Responses published1

The report

Text extracted from the PDF text layer. Reproduced verbatim, including the scan's own layout.

REGULATION 28: REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS

NOTE: This form is to be used after an inquest.

REGULATION 28 REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS

THIS REPORT IS BEING SENT TO:

1 Manager/Director of Operations North Court Care Home, Maven Healthcare

1

CORONER

I am Darren STEWART OBE, HM Area Coroner for the coroner area of Suffolk

2

CORONER’S LEGAL POWERS

I make this report under paragraph 7, Schedule 5, of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009
and Regulations 28 and 29 of the Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013.

3

INVESTIGATION and INQUEST

On 24 November 2023 I commenced an investigation into the death of Sonia Grace SORE
aged 84.

The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 23 January 2025.

The conclusion of the inquest was:

Narrative Conclusion - Sonia Grace SORE was admitted to a care home in 2017
due to her requiring assistance with daily living needs. She had experienced a
stroke in 2014 which had resulted in her suffering from right sided weakness and
an expressive dysphasia. Mrs. SORE was at risk of further strokes for which she
received treatment and also suffered from a heart condition (atrial fibrillation and
congestive heart failure). In 2020 Mrs. SORE fell and suffered a right sided neck
of femur fracture which further impacted on her already reduced mobility. By
2023 Mrs. Sore only had mobility on her left-hand side and required to be hoisted
into and out of her bed and made use of an electric wheelchair to mobilise.

Mrs. SORE had been assessed as at risk of falling from her bed and in 2023 the
management plan to address this risk included her bed rails being raised when
she occupied her bed. Mrs. SORE had expressed repeated objections to the raising
of the right handrail on her bed. On the early morning of the 14th October 2023
Mrs. Sore fell from her bed onto the floor. The right handrail on her bed was not
raised and had not been raised prior to this point as per the risk management plan
to address her falls risk. Mrs. SORE was assessed and no obvious injury could be
identified. Emergency services were consulted with advice given to monitor Mrs.
SORE’s condition and escalate should any concerns arise. A review by care home
staff of Mrs. SORE’s risk assessment occurred on the 14th October 2023.

On the 17th October 2023 a nurse at the care home made an entry in Mrs. SORE’s
notes confirming the requirement for the bed rails on Mrs. SORE’s bed to be raised
when she was occupying it. The right handrail was not raised following this note
and was not raised between the 14th October 2023 and the 20th October 2023.

On the 20th October 2023 Mrs SORE experienced another fall from the right-hand
side of her bed and was found on the floor of her room beside her bed at around
1845 hours. She had fallen in the same manner as the fall on the 14th October
2023. Again, Mrs. SORE was assessed and no obvious injury could be identified.

Regulation 28 – After Inquest
Document Template Updated 30/07/2021

 Emergency services were consulted with advice given to monitor Mrs. SORE’s
condition and escalate should any concerns arise.

Mrs. SORE’s condition deteriorated on the 25th October 2023 and she was seen by
a General Practitioner who advised the care home call 999 and for her to be
transported by ambulance to hospital. On arrival at hospital Mrs. SORE was
assessed as having suffered a large left acute subdural haematoma. Following
input from specialist neurosurgical clinicians, it was determined that her condition
was unsuitable for surgical intervention and that she would be best cared for
through conservative management of her condition. Mrs. SORE’s condition
deteriorated on the 28th October 2023 and a decision was taken in conjunction
with her family for Mrs. SORE to be discharged back to her care home for
palliative care. This occurred on the 1st November 2023 and Mrs. SORE sadly
passed away a week later on the 8th November 2023.

It is not possible to identify when the bleed on Mrs. SORE’s brain first started,
however it had commenced at some point prior to the 25th October 2023 when
she started to show symptoms of her condition. It is probable that the fall on the
20th October 2023 made a material contribution to her injury and death. The fact
that the right-hand bed rail was not raised on Mrs. SORE’s bed meant that she
was able to fall out of bed on the 20th October 2023 and this fact made a material
contribution to the death.

Sonia Grace SORE died due to accidental causes.

The medical cause of death was confirmed as:

1a Subdural Haematoma

4

CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DEATH

Narrative Conclusion see Box 3

5

CORONER’S CONCERNS

During the course of the inquest the evidence revealed matters giving rise to concern. In
my opinion there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken. In the
circumstances it is my statutory duty to report to you.

The MATTERS OF CONCERN are as follows:

During the course of hearing evidence it was apparent that within North Court
Care Home there was a less than diligent focus on risk assessment and mitigation.

Despite risks being assessed, and mitigation measures identified, staff would
regularly fail to implement the latter. In Mrs. SORE’s case this included the failure
to secure the right hand side bed rail as identified in numerous risk assessments
relating to mitigating her risk of falling from the bed. The evidence indicated that
this applied in relation to the actions of multiple staff at the care home, not just a
few, giving rise to the concern that this was a cultural problem at North Court
Care Home

6

ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN

In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe you (and/or
your organisation) have the power to take such action.

7

YOUR RESPONSE

Regulation 28 – After Inquest
Document Template Updated 30/07/2021

 You are under a duty to respond to this report within 56 days of the date of this report,
namely by August 12, 2025. I, the coroner, may extend the period.

Your response must contain details of action taken or proposed to be taken, setting out the
timetable for action. Otherwise you must explain why no action is proposed.

8

COPIES and PUBLICATION

I have sent a copy of my report to the Chief Coroner and to the following Interested
Persons

The Family of Sonia SORE

I have also sent it to

Care Quality Commission
Swan Surgery, Bury Saint Edmunds (Mrs SORE’s GP Practice)

who may find it useful or of interest.

I am also under a duty to send a copy the Chief Coroner.  

The Chief Coroner may publish either or both in a complete or redacted or summary form.
He may send a copy of this report to any person who he believes may find it useful or of
interest.

You may make representations to me, the coroner, at the time of your response, about the
release or the publication of your response.

9

Dated: 17/06/2025

Darren STEWART OBE
HM Area Coroner for
Suffolk

Regulation 28 – After Inquest
Document Template Updated 30/07/2021

Responses

1 response published against this report on judiciary.uk. A response is a body's written reply to the coroner's concerns; publication is at the discretion of the Chief Coroner's office, so an absent response does not mean nobody replied.

Response from Maven Healthcare (PDF)
North Court Care Home – Regulation 28 Response

Reference: North Court Care Home, 108 Northgate Street, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 1H5
Author and Designation: 
Date Report Compiled: 5th August 2025

 – Quality Assurance Consultant

Introduction
A Regulation 28 Report dated 17th June 2025 was received by Maven Healthcare in relation to North
Court Care Home following the inquest of the late Mrs. Sonia Grace Sore.

It is sincerely acknowledged how difficult the inquest process has been for family members and loved
ones of the late Mrs. Sonia Grace Sore therefore, on behalf of Maven Healthcare, we would like to
take this opportunity to extend our heartfelt sympathy and condolences for their loss of their loved
one.

As a company, we have taken steps to review the events leading up to the passing of Mrs Sonia
Grace Sore to ensure our systems and processes across the whole of our company have been
reviewed to support safe and compassionate care. We take the concerns raised within the Regulation
28 Report with the utmost seriousness and are fully committed to implementing measures that will
mitigate the risk of similar incidents occurring in the future.

Mrs. Sonia Grace Sore was a resident who had lived within North Court Care Home towards the later
stages of her life until her passing on the 8th November 2023. During Mrs. Sonia Grace Sore
residence North Court Care Home had been owned by Four Seasons Healthcare however, North
Court Care Home was acquired by Maven Healthcare in January 2024 and as such Maven
Healthcare take full responsibility to action and address the concerns raised within the Regulation 28
Report.

Within Maven Healthcare several systems and processes are utilized to ensure the care provided to
our residents is in alignment with the Care Quality Commissions legal framework and regulations. Our
company ethos supports a collaborative and transparent, team approach and we pride ourselves on
delivering safe, effective, and responsive care to the people we provide a service to.

In June 2022, North Court Care Home was inspected by the Care Quality Commission and was rated
as Requires Improvement. At this time, it was identified by the care Quality Commission that North
Court Care Home were required to implement improvements in relation to safe, responsive and well-
led care. In June 2025, North Court Care Home was reinspected by the Care Quality Commission
and whilst the full rating has not yet been shared with Maven Healthcare, the Care Quality
Commission provided feedback regarding the noted improvements within the service in relation to the
provision of safe, responsive and well-lead care. Maven Healthcare remains committed to providing
good quality care to everyone who resides within the Maven Healthcare communities and will
continue to work with supporting professionals to ensure our residents remain at the heart of all we
do.

 North Court Care Home – Regulation 28 Response

This response outlines the actions that have been taken, as well as those planned, to address the
systemic and cultural issues identified during the inquest process.

Summary of Concerns Identified

  A lack of diligent focus on risk assessment and mitigation.
  Repeated failures by multiple staff to implement agreed risk-reduction strategies.
  A wider cultural issue where risk assessments and care plans were not reliably translated into

practice.

Immediate Actions Already Taken to Date
Following the unfortunate and sad passing of Mrs. Sonia Grace Sore a number of actions have been
taken to address the concerns raised as stipulated below:

Internal Review and Disciplinary Investigation - Following Mrs. Sore’s second fall and prior to the
conclusion of the inquest, we believe a full internal investigation was initiated by Four Seasons
Healthcare. This included a review of the individual accountability of the staff involved team
leadership and handover processes and staff members’ adherence to clinical risk management
protocols.

Following the investigation process it was recognized that disciplinary action was deemed as an
appropriate response to take in relation to the conduct and performance of several key staff
members.

Management and Oversight - Maven Healthcare as a company, adopt an ethos whereupon lessons
learned and professional self-reflection forms part of the incident management process. It is believed
personal and professional reflective practice supports self-awareness; identification of professional
development needs and encourages a collaborative and transparent environment in which staff work
to ensure we continually learn from our experiences and drive forward improvements to support
effective quality care.

The Management oversight within North Court Care Home has been strengthened with the
introduction of a new Home Manager, 
Quality Commission. 
recognized for her positive contributions within the social care sector and who has a history of leading
services with a focus on kind and compassionate care.

 is an experienced Care Home Manager who is

 who is registered with the Care

Risk Assessment Compliance Audits – A full review of each resident’s individual risk assessments
was completed which included the review of the associated care plan and supporting supplementary
records. The review not only focused on the identification of key risks but also on the actions taken to
minimize risk and how key information was communicated to the staff team and each residents

 North Court Care Home – Regulation 28 Response

nominated representative. It is imperative to recognize that one of the lessons we learned as part of
this review was the involvement of key professionals, for example, falls team and social worker who
could have been involved in the decision-making process in relation to the use of bed rails and
supporting records. We recognize that effective communication and collaborative working with both
professionals and family members is the crux of supporting safe and individualized care within our
homes. It is the Maven Healthcare expectation that collaboration with external professionals will
become part of the care planning, risk assessment and general management plan for the residents
we care for and staff have now been fully coached to ensure this expectation is understood and
adhered to.

Enhanced Staff Training - Mandatory refresher training in relation to falls prevention, regulatory
responsibilities, and care plan adherence has been delivered. Reflective practice has been completed
with the staff members who are registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council to reinforce their
understanding of their professional competence and responsibilities in alignment with the
Professional Code of Conduct

Communication – The communication systems used within the service have been reviewed and
robust systems such as daily huddles, Clinical Risk meetings, general staff meetings have been
introduced to ensure information is safely communicated to all staff members. In addition, a weekly
Clinical Risk Register is in place which includes the use of bed rails and prevalence of falls. The
Clinical Risk Register is reviewed weekly at a minimum and shared with the Regional Manager who
completes a visit to the service to validate the data. As a company additional support is provided by
the Operational Team who also visit the service at a minimum of monthly to validate and monitor the
adherence to internal governance systems and external regulations.

Regular relative meetings and care reviews have been instigated to ensure our residents allocated
representatives are fully involved in their loved ones’ care and are aware of any health and well-being
risks.

Strategic and Systemic Actions

  New 'Sign-Off' System for High-Risk Plans has been implemented in relation to identified
critical fall risk measures. This system is called PCS which is an electronic care planning
platform.

  Supervision and Escalation Protocol which supports staff members understanding of the
protocol to follow and the steps they are required to take in relation to the refusal of care
interventions. This system also includes the requirement to escalate to the MDT

Cultural Change and Governance

  Leadership Development – The Home Manager and Deputy Managers have previously

completed relevant courses and training in relation to Enhanced Leadership training course.

 North Court Care Home – Regulation 28 Response

 

Incident Review Panels – A mandatory process has been implemented to ensure post-incident
debriefing is completed for all adverse events.

  An organizational lesson learned has been formulated to ensure all learning is shared across

the service and the company as a whole.

  Company Policies and Procedures in relation to the Safe Use of Bed Rails and Falls Risk
Management have been reviewed to ensure all company Policies and Procedures are
reflective of all new systems, processes and initiatives. Changes to the Policies and
Procedures will be cascaded across the company.

  Lessons learned have been shared across the home and companywide lessons learned is in

progress.

Monitoring and Timetable

 Staff refresher falls prevention training completed 13th  and 15th of January 2025.
 Record keeping workshop was held - on 6th of January 2025.


Incident reporting and record keeping training completed on 31st of March 2025 another
session booked for 26th of August 2025.

 Electronic care planning system PCS implemented in January 2025, fully embedded by the

end of March 2025.

 Monthly audit program in place.
 Revised escalation protocols implemented July 2025
 Policies and Procedure around safe use of bedrails and falls risk assessment and

management review completed.

 Lessons learned completed at home level and in progress at companywide level.

Conclusion
Maven Healthcare continues to remain committed to learning from the unfortunate passing of Mrs.
Sonia Grace Sore incident, ensuring that the safety and dignity of our residents remain our key
priority. The death of Mrs. Sonia Grace Sore has been a solemn reminder of the responsibility we
have to provide outstanding care to all our residents which has already led to significant and lasting
changes within our daily practice, implementation of systems, and team culture within North Court
Care Home.

Signed

Quality Assurance Consultant
North Court Care Home
Maven Healthcare

Related reports

Other reports by Darren Stewart

See all →

More reports categorised “Care Home Health related deaths”

See all →

Track Care Home Health related deaths

See every Prevention of Future Deaths report matching Care Home Health related deaths, and how often a new one appears.

What would an alert for this have sent me? Search the full text

Free to try — the preview shows the real matches and how many arrived in the last 12 months. Your first email alert is free.

These reports are published by the Chief Coroner's office at judiciary.uk and are © Crown copyright. The text here is reproduced from the published PDF so it can be searched. If something on this page is wrong, or you are a person named in it and want it reviewed, email drcjar@gmail.com and we will act promptly.