A care home has been handed another ‘requires improvement’ rating as restrictions on residents, and staff competence were criticised.

An inspection of Greenbanks, in Greenbank Road, in September 2022 had been prompted by concerns over “managing risk” and how the home responded to staff concerns.

The unannounced visit by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) saw the home’s rating drop from “good" to "requires improvement" for being safe and well-led.

Care home provider Runwood Homes said key actions had been put in place to address the issues identified but another inspection in May saw the overall rating stay at ‘requires improvement’.

When the report from the May inspection was published last Friday (June 30), it said that the home for up to 66 older people, including some with dementia, did not always support people with enough staff.

At the time of the inspection 56 people used the service but records did not always contain all the information needed for safe care and “medicines were not always managed well”.

The CQC found “people were not supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives” and highlighted residents who had gates put across their bedrooms without following proper procedures needed "to deprive a person of their liberty" and people under “constant supervision” without approval being sought for it.

“The provider had not ensured staff were competent for their roles,” inspectors added.

“Some staff were not always open and honest when mistakes were made.”

However, they did find that the new leadership team had “a good understanding of the issues” and plans in place to rectify them.

Residents’ families spoke positively about the care given.

A spokesperson at Runwood Homes said: “Following a recent CQC inspection in May 2023, we regret that Greenbanks fell below the standards that both Runwood Homes and the Care Quality Commission expect.

“Since the CQC inspection, we have made progress in implementing an agreed action plan, this is to make the necessary improvements in both the safe, effective and well-led categories.

“We will continue to work closely with CQC to ensure that the improvements continue to be made and sustained.

“We ensure that the wellbeing of our residents is at the forefront of everything we do here at Runwood Homes.”