Northampton care home put in special measures after getting worst possible rating in scathing report by inspectors

A Northampton care home has been placed into special measures after being given the worst possible rating in a scathing report by inspectors.

Oakwood Nursing Home has been rated as 'inadequate' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in a report published last week following a visit in August.

The inspection was partly prompted by the death of a person using the Kingsley care home after an 'incident' and due to concerns about risks to people not being managed safely.

The care watchdog found residents were at risk of pressure sores, dehydration, infection, exposure to chemicals, unsafe food safety measures, according to the report published on Monday, October 4.

"The provider had failed to analyse accidents, incidents or information of concern," the report states.

When things had gone wrong, preventative measures had not been put in place which led to repeated issues

"The location had inadequate amenities available for people, we found areas of the location to be in a state of disrepair.

"People continued to be at risk of falls from height, windows were not consistently restricted. This had also been identified in our previous inspection on April 28.

"Care records did not always contain the correct information and people's choices and beliefs had not been followed."

Two CQC inspectors visited Oakwood on August 3 - they did not examine the circumstances of the incident which caused the death as it is being investigated seperately.

The care home on The Drive, which looks after up to 29 residents aged over 64, was previously rated as 'requires improvement' after a part-inspection in April.

The latest report says staff treated people with dignity and respect but the provider's systems and processes did not always support person-centred care and not all risks had been mitigated to ensure people were safe.

"The provider had failed to ensure there was adequate oversight of the service," the report reads.

"Quality assurance systems and processes did not identify or address issues in the service during this inspection and the previous two inspections.

"People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; however, the policies and systems in the service did not support this practice."

The CQC will request an action plan from Oakwood 'to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety' and work alongside them and the council to monitor progress.

The care home will be kept under review and, if the CQC does not propose to cancel the provider's registration, it will re-inspect within six months to check for significant improvements.

Oakwood could have its registration cancelled if those improvements are not made within 12 months. The care home was contacted for comment.