Dramatic turnaround for Sheffield care home which was rated '˜inadequate'

The Laurels and The Limes Care Home in Broomhill was praised by inspectors, who judged the service to be '˜good', following their latest visit.

It marks an impressive turnaround for a home which in January 2017 was deemed '˜inadequate' by the Care Quality Commission for a second time in less than two years following concerns over safety and management.

In the latest report, published this month, the home on Manchester Road, which is run by Hill Care Limited and can accommodate up to 88 older residents, was rated '˜good' by the watchdog overall and in all five categories on which it was assessed.

Inspectors, who paid an unannounced visit in June this year, found it was well-managed, safe and the staff were caring.

'People and their relatives told us the staff were kind and caring,' they wrote.

'Staff knew the people they supported well and were therefore able to provide the care and support people needed in a person-centred and sensitive way.

'We saw people's privacy and dignity was respected and promoted.'

The report tells how the home was sufficiently staffed, clean and well-maintained when inspectors visited, while residents were protected from abuse and enjoyed the food served up.

Louise Spooner, home manager at The Laurels Care Home, said: 'Everyone at The Laurels and The Limes are absolutely delighted to be

awarded a '˜good' rating by the CQC in all five categories of their inspection report.

'The staff at both homes work incredibly hard to provide the highest level of care for our residents, whether expert dementia care at The Laurels or

traditional nursing and residential care at The Limes.

'We have followed our action plan submitted to the CQC following previous inspection reports and we're pleased they have recognised the changes made at both homes.'

Some areas for improvement were identified, with concerns voiced about variable staffing levels, the need for a '˜deep clean' in the kitchen and some training overdue for staff, though inspectors recognised these shortcomings were being addressed.

The home had been rated '˜requires improvement' '“ the second lowest of four grades available '“ in the previous report, which was published in May 2017.

Prior to that it was rated '˜inadequate' after inspectors found several breaches of the Health and Social Care Act.