HORTON Cross Nursing Home has been given an overall rating of "requires improvement", in the Care Quality Commission's latest report.

The home run by Sentimental Care Limited, at Horton Cross, Ilminster, cares for 29 people and was rated "good" for the inspection categories safe, caring, and responsive, and "requires improvement" for the categories effective and well-led.

A site visit was carried out on June 26 "due to concerns regarding numerous changes in the management at the home, causing instability". The CQC report was published on October 4.

The report looked for seven "quality statements" in the home, including capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders; governance management and sustainability; learning, improvement and innovation; partnerships and communities; workforce equality, diversity and inclusion; freedom to speak up and shared direction and culture.

It found that the service remained at a rating of "requires improvement", the previous inspection also stated the home "requires improvement" overall.

Residents at Horton Cross Nursing Home told CQC they were "happy" at the home.

One said: “Nothing to complain about, food is lovely, staff are superb, couldn’t ask for more.”

Another resident said: "Very good indeed no grumbles, no complaints very good indeed…the place is perfect, I can’t fault it, includes the staff all nice.”

Relatives told the CQC: "Everything is fine here."

The CQC report found that not everyone "knew the new manager", but residents would speak with care staff/nurses "if they had any concerns".

It added: "Concerns had been raised about the overgrown garden but nobody we spoke with felt this was a concern. After our site visit a gardening team started work to improve the gardens around the home."

Regarding the management, the CQC report stated: "At our last 5 inspections we found the provider had failed to consistently maintain good governance at the service."

It added that: "People were placed at risk due to poor quality monitoring and oversight of the service provided."

The report stated: "There had also been inconsistent management at the home which had caused instability. The interim manager in post at the last assessment had left their role. The provider had acted promptly to put a manager in place, who stayed for 2 weeks. The provider then contracted a consultant to step in as the manager at the home. At the time of our site visit the new manager had been at the home for 10 days."

Staff at the home told CQC they had "confidence in the new manager and were hopeful they would make the improvements needed".