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The Commission for Social Care Inspection has ordered a Northamptonshire care home to close after inspectors decided residents' safety and welfare were at serious risk.

The Commission for Social Care Inspection successfully applied for an urgent order from magistrates to cancel the registration of Southfield Care Home in Brackley, following a series of unannounced inspections. The privately-owned care home, which has 34 residents, was given a no-star rating for poor service following its last published inspection report in December.

CSCI's regional director for the East region, Norwyn Cole, said a number of compliance visits had been carried out since its report and inspectors had continued to raise serious concerns over the provision of care.

Poor management

In particular, these included the administration and managment of medication, low staffing levels and poor management overall. CSCI issued the home with enforcement notices, some of which were complied with but later slipped.

Matters came to a head last week. "By last Monday the inspectors were so concerned that they went back another two times to get further evidence for the magistrates' court," said Mr Cole.

"We don't take the urgent cancellation route lightly given the upheaval it causes for residents and staff and we don't do it very often, but taking action at the lower enforcement level didn't change the problems," he added.

11 urgent cancellations last year

CSCI enforced 11 urgent cancellations of care home registration last year.

The home cannot legally operate having received an urgent cancellation notice, though it will continue running until the remaining residents can be found alternative accommodation - which Cole said he expected would be by the end of this week.

He said Northamptonshire Council and Northamptonshire Teaching PCT were providing interim staff and management at the home, while residents are assessed and suitable accommodation is found.

The home's registered provider - Mr P Sohanpaul - has the right to appeal to the Care Standards Tribunal.

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