Care home in Skegby praised by CQC watchdog and relatives for its improvements

The residential home, known by its address of 41 West Hill, provides personal care and support for up to five younger adults with a learning disability and autistic people.

When it was visited by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) last October, inspectors slammed the home for failing to put the needs of residents first which “impacted on their dignity, privacy and human rights”.

The provider, Cima Consortium Ltd, was even warned that enforcement action could be taken to close 41 West Hill down if things did not get better.

However, after its latest CQC inspection, the home’s rating has been upgraded from ‘Inadequate’ to ‘Good’, both overall and in all five individual categories, which assess if it’s safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

"There have been some improvements since the last inspection,” the CQC report said. “Relatives told us they were happier about the service their loved ones were receiving and felt staff had a good understanding of their loved ones’ needs.

“The communication and relationship between management and relatives has improved.”

After the previous inspection, staff and management were criticised for “not always understanding how to protect residents from poor care and the risk of abuse”.

But this time, the report found "the use of physical and chemical restraint had reduced significantly.” Chemical restraint is defined as the use of drugs to restrict a person’s freedom of movement.

The home’s new manager, Sarah Revill, was hailed for making a big difference, overseeing staff who were “kind, compassionate and more understanding”.

One staff member told inspectors: “The new manager has done a really good job and brought a lot of positiveness to the home.”

Cima now had “a clear vision”, and residents were given more choice and control thanks to activities and also trips out to places such as the local pub and swimming pool.

The inspectors urged the home to help residents “continuously learn new skills and set new goals to live a more independent life”.

The report fulfils a promise made by Cima after the previous inspection. Director Mandeep Purewal said “valuable lessons” had been learned and insisted: “The wellbeing, health and safety of residents is our priority.”