Whitchurch nursing home told that it must improve

Cloverfields in Chester Road, Whitchurch, was inspected by the Care Quality Commission on May 12 and 16 this year.

Some of the problems found during the unannounced visit included the home not having enough staff to meet the residents' needs and inspectors said this compromised safety.

Inspectors found people had a choice of meals but staff were not always available to ensure they ate and drank sufficient amounts.

However, the report said people felt safe living in the home and staff knew how to protect them from the risk of potential abuse.

Staff were praised by residents for being "lovely" but raised concerns about the delay of receiving support when they needed it.

Read the full CQC report here

The report stated: "We saw that staff were not available to support people with their meals where needed.

"For example, we saw a person sitting at the table at lunch time with their meal in front of them.

"They did not eat their meal and there were no staff available to encourage them to eat.

"A care worker told us that because there was not enough staff on duty people were often late getting out of bed in the morning.

"They said this meant that some people received their breakfast at 11am and then they did not want their lunch when it was served at 12.30pm."

The nursing home was inspected on five categories of safety, effectiveness, caring, responsive, and leadership. It received a rating of "requires improvement" in all five categories.

William Morris, from the nursing home, said: "Unfortunately there was an unexpected blip on the day the CQC visited – a member of staff had rang in sick.

"One of the main things we have changed since the visit is the staff allocation has changed to make sure more staff are available to help residents at meal times."

Meanwhile, Edgeley House, in Whitchurch, which is operated by care home provider Akari Care, was given a "good" rating by the independent regulator. The report said: "People received care from staff who were trained and motivated to provide care.

"Staff were supported by the management team in order to perform their role.

"People had positive and caring relationships with staff who supported them. Staff supported people with warmth, respect and kindness."

Carolyn Farmer, home manager at Edgeley House, said: "We are always looking at ways to improve the quality of care to our residents and this latest CQC report is welcome news.

"Our staff work tirelessly to meet the needs of our residents and this positive inspection is a testament to their work ethic and commitment."