Inspectors have praised how quickly staff at a Suffolk nursing home have managed to turn things around after being placed in special measures last summer.

Ipswich Star: Witnesham Nursing Home has been lifted out of special measures just months after an inadequate rating. L-R Resmi Abraham, Terence Civell and Eve Dring. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNWitnesham Nursing Home has been lifted out of special measures just months after an inadequate rating. L-R Resmi Abraham, Terence Civell and Eve Dring. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN

Witnesham Nursing Home is now ranked as requiring improvement overall – up from inadequate – after Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors revisited the home in April.

The health watchdog had criticised the home, which is based in The Street and looks after around 30 residents, after inspecting it in July 2016.

Chiefs warned that people may be put at risk of harm – and rated the service as being inadequate for safety.

Communal areas were found to be cluttered and care plans were muddled and unstructured.

But now – just months after the service was placed in special measures – inspectors have ranked it as good for safety and care, while the home’s effectiveness, leadership and responsiveness have been rated as requiring improvement.

Provider Sheila Jayarjan said: “I think the new rating is a true reflection of all of the hard work that has been put in over the last six to nine months.

“We believe that the ranking recognises the team work that has gone on and we are particularly glad about us getting a good rating for our care, as that is the cornerstone of what we do here at the home.

“Our care plans are much clearer and staff have been given far more instructions which show very clearly what needs to be done and when.”

Witnesham Nursing Home joins a number of other care services in the Ipswich area which have been lifted out of special measures over the past few months.

Six out of nine under-performing care homes in Ipswich have seen their CQC inspection ratings improve in the past year.

BUPA’s Anglesea Heights and Monmouth Court Nursing Homes and Leafoak Limited’s Beechlawn Residential Home all saw a boost to their ratings – going from inadequate to requires improvement.

Royal Mencap Society’s Lombard Park, Sue Ryder – The Chantry and Thurleston Residential Home have also seen a rise, going from requires improvement to good.

This means all the care homes in Ipswich rated inadequate for their services last year have improved, and 21 have maintained their 2016 rating.