Kingsthorpe care home goes from ‘inadequate’ to ‘requires improvement’ in latest inspection

A Northampton care home has been rated as ‘inadequate’ after being placed in special measures and given six months to improve.

Kingsthorpe Grange, situated in Harborough Road, is operated by St Matthew’s Healthcare and registered to care for up to 51 people living with mental health conditions and dementia.

A damning report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated the provider ‘inadequate’ in January 2022, following a visit in November 2021 that was prompted by tip-offs about poor hygiene, medication, nutrition and wounds.

Kingsthorpe Grange was found to be in breach of regulations and, as a result, placed in special measures and given a six-month deadline to improve.

Inspectors visited the care provider in July and, in a report published this month, rated it as ‘requires improvement’ across all areas. At the time of the inspection, 34 people were living in the home.

The report said: “Risks to people's care had been identified but some plans in place to mitigate the risk were not always sufficiently detailed enough to provide the level of information staff required to support people safely.”

Inspectors found that staff followed good hygiene practices and residents are supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests.

The report said that mealtime experiences could be improved to provide a more social environment for residents.

Kingsthorpe Grange, which has been in special measures since January 10, completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and when they would improve.

Inspectors found that improvements have been made and the care provider is no longer in breach of regulations. It is, therefore, no longer under special measures.

The Kingsthorpe-based care home was last rated ‘good’ by the CQC in August 2019.

Dr Imran Malik CEO and medical director said: “We welcome the feedback from the latest CQC report following their inspection in July 2022 and are pleased that there are no regulatory failures. The new Kingsthorpe Grange management team is working closely with the CQC inspector to ensure our service provision continues to improve and is appropriately evidenced.

"Our resident’s well-being remains our priority and we are committed to addressing the improvements detailed in the report. We are embedding robust processes and improving systems to help to ensure the care we offer exceeds the standards required.”

Kingsthorpe Grange is one of six homes in and around Northampton operated by St Matthew’s Healthcare, based in Kingsley.

Broomhill mental health hospital in Spratton is currently rated by the CQC as ‘requires improvement’ and St Matthews Unit, in Kingsley, is ‘inadequate.’

St Matthew's Hospital, The Avenue and The Dallingtons are all rated as ‘good.’