MANAGERS at a Southampton care home say they have taken action to improve.

Directors at Macintyre Care - who run Rowan Close care home in Bursledon - say they changed management after a damning report which plunged them into special measures. As reported in a report published last April inspectors said the residential care home for people with learning difficulties was unsafe, that food provided was "poor" and that medicines were not managed safely.

But just six months later after inspectors returned - and found that the service had improved.

Now Macintyre Care's director of adult services Emma Killick said the company worked "very closely" with Hampshire County Council and the regulating body Care Quality Commission to improve the services. Speaking to the Echo Ms Killick said: "MacIntyre has been providing services to children and adults with learning disabilities for over 50 years.

"The care provided at Rowan Close at the February 2018 Inspection fell far short of the standards we expect of ourselves.

"We have worked closely with the staff team and under a new, enthusiastic and experienced manager they have made considerable improvements which we were pleased to see reflected in the most recent CQC Report.

"The registered manager registration process takes time but is now well underway and we fully expect that CQC will rate us as Good overall again at our next inspection. Everyone living at Rowan Close and their families have been kept informed of progress and we would like to thank them for their full support.”

Hampshire County Council have been contacted for comment.