A CARE home has improved its rating from the healthcare watchdog, getting upgraded from “requires improvement” to “good”.

St Thomas’ Care Home, in St Thomas Close, Basingstoke had been rated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as “requires improvement” in 2016, but inspectors decided that after this year’s inspection, the care home is now ‘good.’ Previously, the home required improvement in how well-led it is, service responsibility, and safety, while getting “good” rating in how effective and caring the service was.

But now the service is all green with five good ratings in all the aspects examined.

Kathryn Hughes, deputy manager at the care home, which currently has 63 clients, said: “We have had a lot of changes in terms of management since the last inspection and we have built a strong team at St Thomas now.

“We have had also had a lot of support from Barchester [the company which owns the care home] with its dementia projects and investment in redecorating the home and the gardens. The company has invested a lot.”

The inspectors’ report of the visit, which took place on July 17 and July 18, reads: “People using the service told us they felt safe.

“Staff understood and followed guidance to enable them to recognise and address any safeguarding concerns about people.

“People’s safety was promoted because risks that may cause them harm had been identified and guidance provided to staff to help manage these appropriately.

“People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff to meet their needs.

“The provider was able to adapt their staffing levels appropriately when required in order to meet changes in people’s needs. Recruitment procedures were fully completed to ensure people were protected from the employment of unsuitable staff.

The report adds: “People received their medicines safely; nurses were responsible for managing medicines and had received the appropriate training to enable them to complete their role safely.

Medicines were stored, administered, disposed of and documented appropriately.”