Care home that was put in special measures now rated ‘good’

A care home that was previously branded ‘inadequate’ and placed in special measures has been rated ‘good’ by a watchdog.

Stamford House, in Rochdale, has been praised for the turnaround in a new report from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which finds it is now ‘good’ in all areas and no longer in breach of any regulations.

The home – which provides care for up to 23 people, including those living with dementia – was first placed in special measures back in November 2021, after inspectors raised concerns over fire safety, legionella and ‘unsafe recruitment’.

Worse was to come when the watchdog published another damning report the following May, finding residents were at ‘risk of pain and neglect’.

The Stamford Street home was facing potential closure but managed to make some progress by October last year, although officials still rated it as ‘requires improvement’.

But the CQC is now satisfied that the home – run by provider Antonipillai Gnanabalan – has ‘learned lessons’ and is ‘consistently managed and well-led’.

The new report – based on a visit in late January – finds that leaders and the culture at home ‘promoted high-quality, person-centred care’.

“People were supported and treated with dignity and respect and involved as partners in their care,” the document adds.

“We witnessed some caring interactions between staff and people throughout our inspection including during our observation of the lunchtime experience.”

An activities coordinator had also been recruited following feedback at the last inspection. One member of staff told officials: “The residents have brightened up since the new activity coordinator has been in place. It’s really nice to see”.

Residents spoke positively about staff to inspectors, with one telling them ‘I think they are excellent, they care, while another added ‘they treat me wonderfully’.

The report also notes that systems and processes were in place to safeguard people from the risk of abuse

“Staff received safeguarding training and were able to provide examples of what they would report as a concern,” it adds.

Residents also told inspectors they felt safe. “I know this area well. I feel safe as they make sure the right people get in the building,” said one.

Care plans were said to be ‘much improved’, although some minor work was still needed.

The report adds: “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; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

At the last inspection the home had failed to demonstrate medicines were safely and effectively managed – but it had now improved in this respect, and was no longer in breach of regulations.

“Medicines were stored safely and securely,” the report adds. “There was an accurate record of people’s medicines in the home to help make sure medicines were given safely.’

Staffing levels had also improved, as had recruitment practices – although there were still some ‘minor concerns’.

Joseph Sabapathy, director of operations at Stamford House, says the ‘dedication and hard work’ of the management team is behind the turnaround and he ‘greatly appreciates’ their efforts.

He added: “The support provided by the adult care commissioning team and the QA [quality assurance] team at Rochdale Council has been instrumental in the turnaround too.

“The comfort and safety of our service users are paramount to the home and we will continue to work with the families, Rochdale council and the Care Quality Commission towards ensuring that the regulatory and service user requirements are met at all times.”

Nick Statham, Local Democracy Reporting Service