Bosses of an Ashby residential home have praised their "fantastic team" for the recent good inspection rating, a complete turnaround after being told they 'required improvement' less than a year ago.

Westwood House, in Tamworth Road in the North West Leicestershire town, was visited by Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors on Wednesday, October 4.

The CQC monitors, inspects and regulates health-based services, from care homes to pharmacies to ensure they meet the standards of care that are expected of them and provides venues with feedback, in terms of how effective and safely they are performing.

Following the inspection of Westwood House, a report was published rating the service's safety, responsiveness leadership and how caring it is as 'good', one rating away from the top rating of 'outstanding'. The home's effectiveness, however, was judged as 'requiring improvement'.

Comparatively, the home was visited in December 2016, and was told by the CQC improvements were required across the board.

Kerry Huggins, the acting manager of the home, said: "The success of the home is down to our fantastic team. Everyone has worked really hard and given 100 per cent commitment.

"The home is a lovely place to live and work and we are so pleased that the CQC has recognised how hard we have worked.

"The residents of Westwood are really happy and we do all we can to support them and promote their independence as much as possible. We are looking forward to Christmas at the home, and have lots of surprises and treats in store."

The report reads that the safety of the home is good, highlighting that residents felt safe and the team were aware of their responsibilities.

Workers from the home celebrate the good rating
Workers from the home celebrate the good rating

Risks to the care and support of people were assessed and properly managed, and recruitment was appropriate to get the right people for the right care through the doors, according to the report.

The effectiveness of the home was rated as requiring improvement, with one point relating to the Mental Capacity Act of 2005, which is a legal framework for making decisions on behalf of people who may lack the mental capacity to do so for themselves.

The report reads: "The service was not consistently effective. We found that people were not consistently being supported in line with the Mental Capacity Act.

"People's consent and ability to make decisions had usually been assessed and recorded in their records. However, we found that one person had been identified as possibly lacking the capacity to consent to their care.

"No formal assessment of their capacity to consent to aspects of their care had been made.

"It was not always clear what specific decisions people were unable to make and so we asked the registered manager to ensure decision specific assessments were carried out. They told us they would."

Managing director Vicki Weller, from Your Health Group, which manages the home has expressed her pride at the 'good' rating, and has explained how the home will be looking to improve even further.

"I am really proud of all of the staff at Westwood; they really do want the very best for the residents and do a fantastic job.

"We are in the process of redecorating two premium rooms at the home, and have had a lot of interest in these new rooms. Please contact the home if you would like to come and meet our team and see the home for yourself."