Northampton care home rated 'inadequate' after failing to achieve a 'good' rating for fifth time

A Northampton care home where inspectors said some staff did not have appropriate training to look after residents has been rated inadequate by a health watchdog.

Brampton View Care Home in Chapel Brampton has failed to achieve a good rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) at its last five inspections.

The CQC visited in April 2023, having made its last visit in September 2022. At that time, it rated the home, which can care for up to 88 people, as requiring improvement. There were 75 people being cared for at the home during this year’s inspection.

The regulator said weaknesses in the way some staff were trained had not improved since last autumn, with residents left at risk from possible harm. That could have included known health conditions, such as diabetes or epilepsy, because risk assessments did not always note possible symptoms.

The home is owned by Barchester Healthcare. A spokesperson said the company has taken the findings “very seriously” and that it “recognised that changes needed to be made”.

There was disagreement between some relatives, residents and staff over whether there were enough staff at the home and its use of agency staff during the April inspection.

A relative said a lack of staff was a “continual complaint”, while a resident said they could “hear in the middle of the night people shouting for help”.

Inspectors found record keeping was inconsistent and people’s personal information was left in a communal hallway. It was removed by a senior member of staff later.

Staff were found to be respectful of people’s privacy and wishes.

Two mattresses that were not appropriate for the bedframes they were on were spotted by inspectors. The CQC said that, amongst other examples, showed systems were “not in place…to ensure people received safe, effective care”.

A relative told inspectors the care home had been run by several managers in the last few years but it was unclear why that was the case.

The CQC said the relative told them: “In three years I can’t tell you how many managers [the home] has had. When you enquire why you don’t get an answer.”

The home was given an inadequate rating overall. It was rated as inadequate for its safety and leadership. It was rated as requiring improvement for its effectiveness and how caring it was.

The Barchester Healthcare spokesperson said: “We take the findings of the CQC very seriously and we recognise that changes needed to be made in the home as the report identified.

“This inspection took place in early April and significant progress has been made since to make positive permanent changes for the improvement of the service.

“This includes a Barchester senior general manager leading the home with ongoing oversight from the regional director.

“We were glad to see that the report reflects the support given by staff to allow residents to have choice and control of their lives, the cleanliness of the home and the robust recruitment process in place. Delivering high quality care is of the utmost importance to us.”