Handford House Care Home in Cumberland Street was visited by the watchdog’s inspectors between April 15 and April 23 this year.
In July last year, the provider was rated ‘inadequate’ by the CQC after it found “multiple breaches of regulation, relating to safe care and treatment, good governance, consent, person-centred care and staffing”.
At the most recent inspection, however, the home had completely turned its result around to be rated ‘good’ in all areas bar well-led, which was ‘requires improvement’.
Inspectors said the provider had “made improvements which were ongoing and they were no longer in breach of regulation”.
Handford House Care Home has had a ‘good’ rating (Image: Lucy Taylor)
They found that people were treated with “kindness and compassion” and people had “choice in their care”, with systems in place to support staff wellbeing.
The report finished by stating: “This service has been in special measures since our last assessment report of July 2024, which was published in December 2024.
“The provider demonstrated improvements that have been made.
“The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in special measures.”
Both residents and family members were complimentary of the service as well, stating they recognised the improvements being made and they “felt safe living in he service and the manager was approachable and listened to their concerns”.
They also noticed the improvements to the cleanliness of the service.
Handford House is in Cumberland Street (Image: Lucy Taylor)
A spokesperson for Handford House said: “We are delighted for our team, residents and their families to have been rated as ‘good’ by the CQC.
“This reflects the thorough measures we have taken to improve the quality of care and support we provide to our residents.
“The CQC, as our industry regulator, recognised clear evidence of improvement and noted the positive impact of our new manager, who is described in the report as compassionate, accessible and focused on continuous improvement.
“Aside from the all-important quality improvements, we have also made significant progress by refurbishing aspects of the home’s environment and enhancing daily life through more meaningful activities including minibus outings.
“As part of our commitment to a positive and supportive culture, we’ve launched an employee recognition scheme and an ‘Employee of the Month’ award.
“We would like to put on record our thanks to our colleagues, whose hard work and compassion help make Handford House a warm and welcoming home.
“We have a robust improvement plan in place and remain fully focused on embedding all improvements.
Handford House is in Cumberland Street (Image: Lucy Taylor)
“We know that embedding meaningful change takes time, but we are determined to sustain our progress.
“Our staffing levels have improved and are continuously reviewed to ensure residents receive the support they need, when they need it.
“Most importantly, our residents have fed back that they are consistently treated with kindness, dignity and compassion, with greater choice and control in their care – and are encouraged to maintain relationships with family and friends.
“Separately, we are particularly proud to have achieved a 9.2 rating on the independent carehome.co.uk website, where residents and families share honest feedback, recognising the dedication of our team and the high standard of care delivered.”