A Colne Valley care home has come out of special measures – but still requires improvement, according to inspectors.

Meadow Court at Slaithwaite had been placed in special measures by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after being given an “inadequate” rating for safety on two consecutive CQC inspections – the last one in February this year.

Following its latest inspection in October, the home – which provides residential care for up to 37 people – was taken out of special measures after showing that improvements had been made.

The latest inspection rated the home “good” for being effective, caring and responsive, but rated it “requires improvement” overall and for safety and leadership.

The inspectors’ report said records at the home did not show that “robust” recruitment procedures were in place, adding: “As the only breach of regulation identified at this inspection, this showed that whilst much improvement had been made since the last inspection, some concerns relating to governance remained.”

The report said medicines were managed safely and administered in a person-centred way and residents were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Staff had access to training, supervision and appraisal in order to help provide people with effective care and treatment.

Feedback from people and relatives about food and drinks at the home was positive. People were asked for feedback about the meals they received and this was used to change the menus. People also had access to a range of healthcare professionals.

Meadow Court Residential Home Meal Hill Lane, Slaithwaite.
Meadow Court Residential Home Meal Hill Lane, Slaithwaite.

The report said: “People and their relatives told us staff were kind and caring. All interactions between staff and people we saw were polite and respectful; we also observed plenty of banter and good humour was exchanged.

“Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity. They could also describe people’s likes, dislikes and personal histories in detail.”

It said people’s care plans had much improved since the February inspection. A range of activities were available for people to take part in at the home.

No complaints had been received since the last inspection and feedback about management at the home was positive. The management team used good practice and partnership working with other organisations to drive improvement at the home.

However, the home was rated “requires improvement” for safety as there as no evidence of a robust system of recruitment. It was also rated “requires improvement” for leadership with the inspectors report saying “some issues with governance remained.”

Stephen Humble, director of Meadow Court Ltd, which owns the home, said: “Only one area for improvement was identified and this was in the area of recruitment records.

“More specifically, the issue identified was that although we carry out criminal record checks on every member of staff, the regulatory body requires us to now have written records and explanations of any gaps of employment shown on applicants CVs from leaving school to the present day. We did not have this level of detail on record. No other faults were identified and many positive interactions are noted in the report.

“The outcome of this inspection, we are very pleased to say, means that we move out of special measures and are rated ‘good’ in the areas of caring, effective and responsive. The one issue requiring improvement with recruitment falls under the headings of both Safe and Well-led and so our overall rating is that of ‘requires improvement.’

“As they left, the inspectors made it quite clear that they felt assured that our residents were safe and very well looked after and that systems we had put in place were processes for long term change and not just short term fixes.

“We are very proud of the staff and services offered here at Meadow Court and it is a testament to all staff concerned that we have shown such good improvement. A rating of requires improvement is welcomed and the report shows our honesty and desire to continually improve in such a demanding and dynamic sector as care.”