A CARE home has been told it requires improvement following an inspection – but was praised for the kindness of staff and improvements made by new manager.

Morris Grange Care Home in Middleton Tyas, near Richmond, has been given an overall assessment of ‘requiring improvement’ – but graded as ‘good’ as a caring service.

The home, which provides care and accommodation for up to 71 people, had an unannounced inspection in February by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), who found residents received “attentive care” by staff who kept them safe from abuse.

However work needed to be done to make further improvements to make sure staff record checks were up to date, and more needed to be done to improve cleanliness.

Staff training was also not up to date, however inspectors noted the manager was already putting plans in place to make improvements with the care provider, and residents were treated with dignity and respect.

No concerns had been raised with CQC prior to the visit to Morris Grange Care Home, which is operated by Sycamore Care Limited, and managed by Lilian Mafham.

The inspector’s report noted: “There was no evidence of a robust system for monitoring accidents and incidents and taking appropriate action to avoid unnecessary re-occurrence had been in place until very recently.

“However, the manager was able to demonstrate that accidents and incidents were starting to be managed appropriately.”

Mr Mafham told inspectors: “Previously all that was recorded were falls; I have now implemented a system to cover every accident and incident.

“I will be looking at everything, such as times they occur, whether it shows if people may be coming down with an illness.”

Although relatives questioned about the home said they had no concerns about care, inspectors found staff training records were incomplete.

It was also noted that improvements needed to be made to the building to ensure it was suitable for dementia residents, with specific attention to be paid to lighting and floor coverings so residents are not at risk from falls.

But the inspector added: “We observed pleasant interactions between staff and people who used the service. For example, they sat holding people’s hands, chatting and checking that people were alright.”

Mrs Mafham is described as “having her finger on the pulse” and improving on the general atmosphere of the home since her arrival.

The inspector added: “She was able to tell us they had identified areas where improvements were needed and have put proposals to the provider but at the time of our visit it was too early to see evidence.”