LEADERS of a care home in Whitefield have been ordered to improve after a watchdog inspection.

Care Quality Commission (CQC) staff visited Regency Care Centre in Lily Hill on June 23 and published their report this week.

Inspectors found that the centre, which can look after up to 60 people, including some with dementia. was effective and responsive, but improvement was needed to make it safe, caring and well-led.

Some residents complained they had to wait a long time to go to the toilet because there were not enough staff, while staff themselves said: "We don’t always have enough staff to cover. I feel like we are running around and all day it's like fire-fighting."

One issue was that "a large amount" of agency staff were being used and, at times, residents were left unattended for 15 minutes.

Residents' risk assessments were not always kept updated and were not always given pain medicines safely and appropriately.

Some residents also complained of staff being clumsy.

One said: "They do not know how to handle people like me. They pick me up like I am a bag of spuds and I have lots of bruises."

However, in the main, residents praised staff for creating a social, family atmosphere by doing things such as singing and dancing.

The CQC instructed the centre’s leaders to make four changes that related to specific pieces of health, safety and welfare regulations.

At the time of the inspection, the centre did not have a registered manager, though it does now.

A care home spokesman said: "She is being supported by our senior regional management team to carry out the improvement plan.

"We are encouraged that the most recent CQC inspection rated the home as 'good' for providing effective care and being responsive to the needs of residents.

"We regret that some aspects of care fell below the standards that we expect to provide and the new manager is carrying out an improvement programme.

"Staff are having training to ensure that company policies and procedures are correctly followed to maintaining records and administration of medications."

He added: "The inspectors were critical of the high use of agency staff although they acknowledged that there was a recruitment programme under way.

"More permanent staff have been appointed.

"It is not a choice by care home operators to use agency staff rather than permanent staff but it is often necessary to maintain staffing levels."