'Unsafe' Northampton care home is being failed by 'significant shortfalls' from management, say inspectors

Leaders at a Northampton specialist care home have been scolded by inspectors for failing to create a safe place for its patients.

Berrywood Lodge was held in esteem by the CQC after it earned a "good" rating back in 2016 - but in every inspection since then, the home has criticised for declining standards.

Now, in the newest report published on May 21, the Duston site has been branded as "inadequate" and dropped into special measures.

The scathing review by the healthcare watchdog says the home's managers fallen short of standards and deemed the service as unsafe.

Failures range from patients "not always being protected from abuse", risks of "inappropriate physical intervention from staff" and a risk of "not receiving health care support" quickly enough.

The report reads: "For example, one person had been assaulted by another person but there had not been an incident form completed. One person had a bruise recorded but no incident form or investigation had been completed to identify the reason or cause of the bruise

"We saw during the inspection a person physically restraining another person. Staff did not immediately respond to stop this intervention.

"Staff and people told us that they did not always feel safe in the service. Three staff had discussed with the manager leaving the service during the inspection due to concerns with one person's behaviour."

The leadership of Berrywood Lodge - which provides personal care for 20 people with complex learning disabilities, autism or mental health difficulties - were also written up for "widespread and significant shortfalls".

The service's operator, Pathways Care Group, has been contacted to ask if any action has been implemented by its current registered manager, miss Andreea Victoria Craciun.

The report continues that the home was suffering from not having enough staff on duty and was short staffed on 14 days out of one month.

Other criticisms were leveled at how there was "no evidence" of shared bathrooms being cleaned, that PPE was not used effectively and that pre employment checks had not always been completed fully before staff started working for the service.

The service has now been placed in special measures and will be subject to frequent inspections. In conditions do not improve then the CQC can take action to stop the provider operating the home.