AN investigation has been launched into the well-being of elderly residents at a Hampshire care home.

County Council bosses say complaints have been received and they were so concerned about the care being given to pensioners living at the 35-bed home they sent in a specialist team.

Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission also swooped on the home in the middle of the night after issues were raised about the Chandler's Ford complex.

The probe into standards at Moorwood Cottage is understood to have been triggered by complaints from family members of people living there.

Throughout the weekend, staff from Hampshire County Council's community response team went on to the property to offer support to staff and ensure “residents were receiving appropriate care”.

CQC staff had gone in on Monday morning, arriving unannounced at 4.30am to carry out an unplanned enquiry.

Both organisations are refusing to shed any light on the nature of the complaints made until reports are completed and published in four weeks time.

However, one relative of a resident at the Valley Road home, told the Daily Echo she had made an official complaint concerning the treatment of her mother.

She said: “Since my mother has been there she has deteriorated badly and her personal care is, in my opinion, not good enough.”

She added: “I have tried to raise concerns with the home and sent letters and I have never had any real come back from them. If I speak to anyone there they just nod and say things will be taken care of.”

Last night Cllr Liz Fairhurst, the county's executive member for adult social care and public health, said the welfare of those living at Moorwood Cottage was the priority.

She said: “Immediate action was taken to ensure the safety of residents at the home as soon as concerns were raised around the standards of care being provided.

“We are working with the Care Quality Commission, the community nursing service and the staff and owners of Moorwood Cottage to investigate the concerns raised and ensure they are addressed.

“The wellbeing of the residents is paramount during this safeguarding process and we will continue to keep them and their families informed and involved in any decisions relating to their on-going care.”

Morwood Cottage caters for up to 35 people and is run by Orchard Homes based in Leeds.

The investigation comes after a year of mixed fortunes for the home after it failed a CQC inspection in March 2013 but then made marked improvements in passing a follow-up inspection two months later.

The May inspection summary said: “We found that the home had made major improvements in terms of the planning and provision of care and that people's nutritional and hydration requirements were now being met.

“Specifically we saw that the organisation of staff meant that care was provided more efficiently, that care plans were now clear and ordered and that a plan of care was being followed.”

Moorwood was previously run by Southern Cross but was one of 250 homes nationwide transferred to new owners in 2011.

Cllr Alan Broadhurst, who represents Chandler's Ford West on Eastleigh Borough Council, said he had received complaints about the care home in the past but not since the new owners took it over.

He said: “Obviously cleanliness at a care home is a serious issue but I have not been aware of any complaints in the past three years or so.”

Last night a spokesman for Orchard Homes told the Daily Echo: “We can confirm the CQC did enter the home to carry out an inspection and we are awaiting the outcome of that inspection. Until we have seen those findings we are unable to comment further.”