A COUNTY council-run care home in Andover has been praised by care inspectors – just two years after it was deemed to be ‘requires improvement’.

Willow Court Nursing Home, operated by Hampshire County Council, was inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in July and was rated as ‘good’.

The home, based in the grounds of Andover War Memorial Hospital, was slammed by inspectors in September 2016 and was told in all areas except one that it needed to be improve, but in its latest report it was given a ‘good’ rating in all inspection categories.

Previously, concerns were raised that staffing levels were inadequate, and residents had to wait long periods of time to be seen, but during this inspection it was found that action had been taken and there “sufficient staff to meet people’s care needs”.

The report read: “During the inspection we saw that staff were not rushed and responded promptly and compassionately to people’s requests for support.”

The home had also managed to turn around fears over food safety, particularly spoilage as it was found fridge temperatures were not being checked enough.

But inspectors highlighted in the latest report, published on September 14, that “action had been taken and food safety checks were being followed to ensure food was safe to eat”.

They also found that the home had continued to be caring, with praise from relatives and residents alike, and found that staff “understood the importance of respecting people’s privacy and dignity”.

The home was also responsive after its previous inspection uncovered that staff were used to fulfil other duties instead of providing support for people’s activity needs.

However, inspectors said this has since changed and one resident said they felt like they were on holiday with the amount of activities available.

The management staff were lauded as it was deemed the home was now compliant with the provider’s guidance and was also more open and transparent.

Councillor Liz Fairhurst, Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Health, said: "We take CQC inspections very seriously and took immediate action to promptly address the small number of areas that required attention. I am delighted the Commission has recognised this good work and awarded the home a ‘Good’ rating. The safety and care of our residents is the most important thing and the management team and staff at the home will continue to work hard to ensure the care provided to our residents is of the highest quality.”