Northamptonshire care home stays in special measures after scathing CQC inspection

A Northamptonshire care home insists improvements are being made after remaining in special measures following a scathing inspection report from the health watchdog.

Duncote Hall Nursing Home was rated as 'inadequate' - the lowest possible rating - by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after a visit by inspectors on March 4.

Residents at the care home in Duncote, near Towcester, are at risk of choking, skin damage and fire, according to the report, published on May 4.

A spokesman for Duncote Hall said: “Improvements have been made since the CQC's previous report, but a number of issues remain which are being addressed.

“Our priority is the wellbeing of our residents and giving them the best care possible, and we have taken further steps to ensure the process of change happens as a matter of urgency.

"A new management team is now in place and they are working closely with our regional management team to improve procedures, the standard of care provided, and the physical environment of the home.

“Additional full-time staff have been appointed to decrease reliance on agency workers, improve the consistency of care, and ensure all of our policies and procedures are rigorously enforced.

“We have submitted a detailed action plan for improvement to the CQC and will ensure it is achieved in the shortest possible timescale.”

Duncote Hall was placed into special measures after it was rated as 'inadequate' in October 2019 following an inspection in July.

The latest visit found many of the issues remained with few improvements and many regulatory breaches.

"We found that staff had not been appropriately deployed to ensure people had their needs met in a timely manner," the report says.

"People told us there were not enough staff on shift and that they were made to wait for their needs to be met.

"People's dignity was not always maintained or respected. Personal information was not always stored securely."

During the visit, the CQC inspector saw a resident being fed while lying down and the environment had not been made safe in relation to fires.

Four residents' specialist mattresses to reduce the risk of skin damage were found to be on the wrong setting for their weight, according to the report.

"Not all care plans held the correct information. Care plans did include people's choices, and preferences as well as any cultural or religious needs," the report says.

"People who were at risk of dehydration did not always have their fluid intake recorded.

"People told us the food was good and the kitchen staff were aware of people's preferences and dietary requirements.

"People told us staff were kind, we saw interactions between staff and people varied.

"Some staff interacted well with people, taking time to talk to them and explain things, whilst other staff had very limited interactions with people."

The care home will be kept under review and will be re-inspected within six months to check for significant improvements.

If the registered provider has not made enough improvements, the CQC will take enforcement action, which usually means it will prevent the provider from continuing to operate the service.