'Inadequate' Northampton care home insists it has improved after appeal to remove special measures was rejected

A Northampton care home that was rated 'inadequate' at a previous inspection last year has lost its appeal to come out of special measures.

The Leys care home, situated in Booth Rise, was inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in June 2021 when it was rated 'inadequate' after breaches were identified in relation to fire safety, food safety, medicines and governance.

The care provider, as a result, remained under review by the CQC. The Leys, however, appealed this enforcement action and the CQC published an update on Tuesday, February 1 concluding that current restrictions will remain in place.

The Chronicle & Echo approached The Leys care home manager, Shyamal Raja, for comment. He said that care home staff have been working very hard and expressed concern that the republished report could have a 'disheartening impact' on the care provider.

He said: "The local authority and CQC are working closely with the team and are pleased with the improvements and progress made."

Findings from The Leys' last inspection - that took place eight months ago - included fire and food storage risks, poor medicine management, unexplained injuries, unchecked care plans and limited activities for the residents.

In response to Mr Shyamal's claim that The Leys had made significant improvements since their last inspection, a spokeswoman for the CQC said: "CQC cannot confirm or deny that the home has made full improvements until we have carried out a further inspection, so we will be able to comment on that outcome once this has taken place.

"The provider is welcome to provide their own statement discussing any improvements they may have made since the inspection but until we visit them again we’d be unable to comment any further."

The care provider has been in special measures since January 28, 2020, meaning that The Leys will be kept under special review and the CQC will re-inspect to check for significant improvements.

A previous inspection carried out in January 2021 ruled that The Leys 'required improvement' after it was found in breach of regulation. The CQC has said that during their latest inspection in June 2021, the care home had not demonstrated that improvements had been made.

The Leys care home is managed by Midlands Care.