ALMOST half of Oxfordshire care providers recently inspected by a Government watchdog need improvement to meet the required standards.

Six out of 13 care homes and home care providers for the elderly were told by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in July that they needed to get better.

One of those on the list is Isis House Care Home in Cornwallis Road, Cowley.

The home, run by The Orders of St John Care Trust, requires action in three of the five fields assessed.

Although staff were caring, and the service was well-led, inspectors said it needed to improve safety, effectiveness and responsiveness of care.

The 80-bed facility was inspected on June 1. The resulting report stated: “There was not sufficient staff on duty to support people and meet their needs. This meant there was little opportunity for them to engage with people.”

Assistant operations director Patsy Just said: “In terms of the areas rated as requiring improvement, these were predominately around staffing, and were, in fact, in the process of being addressed at the time of the inspection. This process is now almost complete.”

Last week the Oxford Mail revealed Yarnton Care Home in Kidlington required improvement.

Some care homes which were deemed inadequate have been given good ratings in the past month. These include Townsend House in Bayswater Road, Barton, which is also run by The Orders of St John Care Trust. On July 30, the CQC said it had made the improvements required to be rated good.

The Albany Care Home in London Road, Oxford, has also been rated good after being deemed inadequate last year.

But some care providers are not meeting the standards set by the watchdog. Witney-based Mears Care Oxford, which provides home care for people in the community, was told it requires improvement in all five areas.

Chief operating officer Bernadette Walsh said: “We are committed to driving up standards and have a robust action plan in place which addresses all of the areas identified in the CQC report.”

Fewcott House in Bicester has also been told it needs to make improvements if it is to be considered good.

Office manager Denisa Ciobanu said: “Fewcott has already done everything to improve all of what was asked by CQC and we are awaiting another CQC inspection.”

INSPECTORS' VERDICTS

Latest care home inspection reports by the CQC:

* The Albany Care Home, Oxford (July 27) – Good
* OSJCT Isis House Care & Retirement Centre, Cowley (August 3) – Requires improvement
* OSJCT Townsend House, Headington (July 30) – Good
* Caremark Oxford, Cowley (July 27) – Good
* Yarnton Residential and Nursing Home, Kidlington (July 31) – Requires improvement
* Longlands, Cassington (July 22) – Requires improvement
* 4 Piggy Lane, Bicester (August 7) – Good
* Mears Care Oxford, Witney (July 15) – Requires improvement
* Rush Court, Wallingford (August 6) – Good
* Meylan House, Didcot (August 7) – Good
* Fewcott House Nursing Home, Bicester (July 16) – Requires improvement
* Beech Court Nursing Home, Eynsham (July 16) – Requires improvement
* Newland House, Witney (July 31) – Good