A Sidmouth care home has been told to make improvements in several key areas, following an official inspection.

Bindon Residential Home, in Winslade Road, was visited by two members of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in November.

Although they found it was ‘effective’ and ‘caring’, their overall rating was that it required improvement.

The report said: “There were numerous positive interactions between staff and people living at the home. Staff treated people with kindness and compassion.

“Staff understood the need to respect people’s privacy and maintain their dignity.

“People looked confident as they moved around the home and people told us they felt safe. Staff were attentive and provided individualised care. Staff understood the importance of gaining consent.

“People benefited from a staff group that were trained and worked as a team.

“The service was run by a registered manager, who staff described as approachable.”

But the report added: “There were times when there were delays in assisting people or monitoring the impact of people’s behaviour on others.

“Risk assessments and care plans did not consistently reflect people’s current support and care needs and, at times, lacked guidance for staff.

“Improvements were needed to the recruitment and some aspects of the quality assurance process to make them more effective and help keep people safe.

“Medicines were administered safely, but changes were needed to improve the auditing of medicine management.

“Once the management team were aware of a complaint, they took time to try to resolve the concern and work with people and their families.”

A spokesperson for the home told the Herald: “Bindon are proud of our fantastic staff for their hard work in an ever-improving industry.

“This has been reflected in a positive relationship with the CQC, happy relatives and residents at what has been described as a robust service by the Devon County Council’s quality improvement team.”