The manager of Ridgeway Residential Home in Sidmouth has assured families that residents’ welfare is of ‘utmost priority’ after the Care Quality Commission (CQC) identified certain areas that ‘require improvement’.

Inspectors visited the Salcombe Hill premises in January and last week published a report that detailed shortfalls, including aspects of safety, management of medicines and the approach of some staff members.

Recommendations were issued on ways in which the effectiveness, responsiveness, safety and leadership of the home could be improved, but the CQC issued a ‘good’ rating for how caring the service is.

Ridgeway provides care for up to 16 residents and at the time of inspection there were 14 people living at the home.

Inspectors received a mixed response from residents and, while the majority stated there was enough staff to maintain their care needs and safety, some felt they did not have enough time to chat or engage in social activities.

The report documented concerns from some people in the home about the approach and attitude of certain staff members, but added that the duty manager is working to resolve this.

CQC officials said that, during the inspection, a kind and caring approach was observed and staff were mindful of people’s privacy and dignity.

The report included comments from residents that stated ‘I’ve got nothing I could fault this place for at all’, and ‘they’re very good at helping me’.

A visiting health professional said they had ‘always thought highly of the care provided’.

Inspectors said: “We received mixed responses about the food provided. The registered manager and provider were aware of people’s concerns about the food and were keen to listen to them to ensure this improved.”

They added that friends and relatives were encouraged to visit and were made to feel welcome.

In summary, the CQC found the home’s recruitment process ‘was not robust’ and outlined some shortcomings in record keeping to help monitor the quality of service and storage of medicines.

The home was criticised for failures to comply with The Mental Capacity Act 2005, which requires providers to ensure safeguards are in place when someone does not have the capacity to make an informed decision about their care and treatment.

Care manager Carol Magee said: “Ridgeway is proud of its standing in the care community and the care that it provides.

“We are well-established with our 40 years’ experience. We have a continuing positive relationship with the CQC and assure all of our residents and families that their overall health and welfare is always of utmost priority.”

The CQC’s overall rating for the home stated that it ‘requires improvement’.

This score applied to four out of five services on aspects of safety, effectiveness, responsiveness and leadership.

On the issue of how caring the home’s service is, the CQC issued a ‘good’ score.