The Southeast has the most Inadequate care homes in England new analysis of CQC ratings has found.

Research by the Daily Mail found there were 239 care homes with the CQC’s lowest rating and 2,530 Requires Improvement as of 28 February 2023.

The Southeast was the worst performing region with 44 Inadequate care homes, followed by the East Midlands (39) and East of England (34). The Northeast was the best performing region with just 3 Inadequate rated homes.  Kent was the worst performing county with 14 homes rated Inadequate.

A Kent County Council spokesperson told Caring Times: “KCC doesn’t own or manage any care homes in Kent, they are all private businesses from which the council commissions services.

“Should a care home be rated Inadequate by the CQC the council will work with the care home and CQC on their improvement plan and if necessary find alternative suitable accommodation for residents should this be necessary.”

By provider, Modus Care and Achieve Together came bottom with five Inadequate ratings.

The homes operated by Modus Care in Cornwall, which is part of the Salutem Care Group, have not been inspected since their acquisition from Spectrum.

Martyn Heginbotham, chief operating officer of Modus Care, said: “Very recently, we were asked to take over the operation of these five services as a result of the previous provider’s failure, which resulted in them being rated Inadequate and action taken by the regulator (CQC). Our expertise and experience in the sector will enable us to turn them around so that they provide the very best quality care and support for the people who live there.

“We have worked collaboratively with both the Care Quality Commission and the local authority and have already introduced new policies and procedures and have plans for significant investment in the fabric of the buildings. All five services will benefit from ongoing support from our senior team.

“We are confident that the care now being provided is sustainably improving and that individuals are having better lives and our colleagues feel supported.”

Cornwall Council said: “As the commissioning authority, we are confident that these services are now improving with the new operators in place.”

Achieve Together told the Mail that one of its five Inadequate homes had since closed, adding it was working to improve the remaining homes which represent just 1.5% of its services.

A CQC spokesperson said: “The majority of care homes in England are Good or Outstanding and this reflects the incredible efforts of care workers and providers who have gone above and beyond to provide high quality care. However, in some locations this is not the case. When our inspections find that people are not receiving care which meets their needs and expectations, we take regulatory action to ensure this improves. If people have concerns about the care they or their loved ones receive, we encourage them to share their experiences with us so we can respond. More details can be found on our website (https://www.cqc.org.uk/give-feedback-on-care).”