TWO care homes are making improvements after being rated inadequate during the pandemic.

Oak Lodge Care Home, in Darlington, still requires improvement, but inspectors from the Care Quality Commission said changes had been made since June, when it raised concerns about infection control, cleaning and PPE.

The home in Haughton-le-Skerne, which can cater for 28 adults, was looking after 11 people at the time of the inspection in January.

Steve Smith, from Care Homes UK, which runs the home, said a new manager had been working with the local authority to make improvements.

He said: “We don’t disagree with any of the reports. We ended up with a difficult situation which was highlighted.

“Some of that was around the challenges of what happened in the pandemic.

“Care homes aren’t used to having people in aprons and masks all day. All of a sudden we were expected to work like we were in an ICU.

“We did fall foul of some of the infection control. The whole sector found that very difficult to get to grips with.”

He added: “We’ve brought in a more experienced nurse manager. Residential homes don’t have to have a nurse manager but we’ve brought one in and we are working with the local authority on the action plan.

"We’ve had a much better inspection report and we’re on the up.”

A report by the CQC said: “At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.”

The home had previously been inspected in October 2019, when it was rated as “good”.

In June, the CQC visited after serious whistleblowing concerns were received by the local authority safeguarding team in relation to the management of the service and quality of care and support.

Inspectors said staff did not have access to supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE), did not have sufficient infection prevention and control measures in place, and the home was not following Government guidance in relation to Covid-19.

Rydal Care Home, in Rydal Road, Darlington, is also making improvements after being rated inadequate in October.

The home was put in special measures after the CQC found staff had inadequate access to personal protective equipment (PPE) and did not have enough infection prevention measures in place.

Inspectors revisited the home on four occasion between December 22 and January 20, when they found improvements had been made in a number of areas, including to infection prevention and control practices, adequate access to PPE and improvements to staffing levels.

A spokesperson for Rydal Care Home said: “The CQC inspected the home during an unannounced visit in December and we are pleased that all required actions had been completed to its satisfaction.

“This is testament to the hard work of the new manager and their team, supported by the directors and head office operations staff. Improvements are continuing to be made and we are working closely with Darlington Borough Council on a phased admissions policy.

“We are focused on providing the highest quality care for all of our residents and we look forward to the CQC’s next visit when hopefully the home will receive an improved rating.”

The most recent CQC report said: “The management had made improvements to the service. All the requirements of the warning notice we served following our last inspection had been met.

“We found the area manager and new manager had acted to ensure audits were now being undertaken and used to improve the service.

The home can cater for up to 60 people and was looking after 36 people at the time of the inspection.