Inspectors monitoring Northampton care home after issuing 'requires improvement' rating

Inspectors have told a Northampton nursing home it must do better after highlighting a number of failings.

A report by regulators the Care Quality Commission gave Cliftonville Care Home, in Cliftonville Road, a 'requires improvement' rating following a visit in November.

The home provides personal and nursing care for up to 106 older or younger adults with a diagnosis of dementia or a physical disability.

Cliftonville is part of Avery Healthcare, a care provider based in Swan Valley which runs 56 homes nationwide including seven in Northampton, Kettering, Wellingborough and Corby.

A spokesman for Avery Healthcare said: "We were disappointed with the overall outcome and will be working very closely with the regulators as we continue to address the areas identified.

"Three out of the five areas were rated as ‘good’, which is testament to the incredibly hard-working efforts of our staff during a difficult period.

"We are focused and committed to returning to an overall good rating.”

CQC Inspectors visited Cliftonville after receiving concerns about risk management, record keeping, staffing and oversight. They found:

■ Staff did not always have the information required to support people safely. Not all risk assessments and care plans contained sufficient or up to date information.

■ Records were not consistently completed to evidence care and support was delivered. Repositioning, oral care and food and fluids tasks were not always documented.

■ Unexplained injuries to people were not always investigated to identify a cause and mitigate any potential risks.

■ Audits did not always identify when records were not completed or when information was missing or incorrect.

The report added the home had a new manager who was in the process of implementing change and that residents told inspectors they felt safe at Cliftonville and staff were kind.

Managers have been given an action plan to 'understand what they will do to improve the standards' and the CQC says it will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress before re-visiting the home.

CQC inspectors give care homes one of four ratings — outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate.

Cliftonville had been rated good at its previous inspection in 2019.