A Devon care home has been rated by the CQC as ‘requires improvement’ following a boating accident in which two disabled residents died and one was left seriously injured.

The regulators visited the home, which was previously rated as ‘outstanding’ in June, after receiving concerns about the management and assessment of risk at Burdon Grange care home in Beaworthy.

The results of the inspection, published this week, found no concerns in the quality of care provided but did deem the home to be ‘requiring improvement’ in three areas – being safe, effective and well-led. The care home had previously been rated outstanding by the CQC in March 2020.

Earlier in June, a boat carrying six people capsized during a ‘sailing for the disabled’ course, with the subsequent search mission rescuing four people. However, two passengers were recovered from the lake the following day.

Devon and Cornwall Police and the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) launched parallel investigations into the circumstances of the incident.

The CQC’s report stated: “The inspection was prompted in part by notification of a specific incident as a result of which two people using the service died and another was seriously injured. This incident is subject to a criminal investigation.

“As a result, this inspection did not examine the circumstances of the incident. The information CQC received about the incident indicated concerns about the management and assessment of risk. This inspection examined those risks.

“We gave a short period notice of the inspection because of recent tragic events involving people using the service. This had impacted the health and well-being of both people using the service and staff.

“We wanted to ensure our visit was communicated to the provider to allow them to advise people and staff we would be attending and in what capacity.”

CQC requested the care home takes action to address breaches to safe care and treatment, as well as good governance.

“We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress,” the report continued.

“We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.”

The owners of Burdon Grange Care Home, Stuart and Stephanie Kempton, said: “We are pleased that the level and quality of care we provide has been recognised by relatives of our residents, healthcare professionals and members of staff, in our recent Care Quality Commission inspection.

“While we had hoped for a better overall rating, the inspectors noted that our staff possess both the skills and knowledge to meet the needs of our residents and no concerns were raised about the quality of care that we provide. The inspectors praised the caring nature of our staff, who treat our residents with dignity and respect.

“The inspectors also mentioned the ‘very positive feedback’ from healthcare professionals about both the care we provide and our standard of leadership.

“The report has highlighted areas where we need to improve, including the continual training, supervision and appraisal of staff and record keeping. In response to the inspectors’ findings, we will be putting action plans in place to improve the quality of the service we provide.”