Staff at a nursing home previously ranked inadequate three times in a row are celebrating being upgraded by care quality watchdogs.

Malvern Nursing Home in Toller Lane, Heaton, had been given another six months to make changes before its next visit by Care Quality Commission inspectors in November and has now had its ranking raised to “requires improvement.”

The home’s deputy manager Lisa Noble said Malvern was pleased with its new rating and has credited it to a change of personnel and staff’s “hard work and tenacity.”

She said: “It’s a massive improvement. From our point of view it’s a change of personnel and down to staff’s hard work and tenacity. You can’t just leap from one stage to another with the CQC, it has to be done in stages and we have to show sustainability which is what we have done. We are a constantly happy home now. It’s the residents who have the last word and they told inspectors they were happy and felt at home. We are delighted with that. People like it here.”

Ms Noble said there had been a lot of investment made and support given to bring the home into a higher ranking.

At a previous inspection, CQC inspectors had noted residents were not allowed to butter their own toast and the home had been put into special measures. The inspectors were concerned that residents, with complex mental health needs, were not being allowed to carry out simple tasks including pouring drinks.

At that point the home had pledged to raise an action plan to improve.

But, after the last visit, inspectors commented that the registered manager and staff had worked hard to build on the improvements found at the last inspection.

They found staffing levels had been kept, staff were working as a team, lunchtime was a pleasant, sociable occasion where people were able to access their own meals and drinks and residents felt at home.

The report also said the home was clean, bright and well maintained with many bedrooms redecorated, with people involved in choosing their own colours and pictures.

People’s care plans were more personalised, people looked comfortable and clean and those who smoked had the choice of when to smoke and had access to their own cigarettes.

People were also enjoying activities organised in and outside of the home and felt they could approach staff easily.

Staff understood safeguarding procedures and knew how to report any concerns. Safeguarding incidents had been identified and referred to the local safeguarding team and reported to the Care Quality Commission. Risks to people were assessed and managed to ensure people’s safety and well-being.

“People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Care plans showed where people had made the choice whether to have their own keys for bedrooms. People who smoked had the choice of when to smoke and these had been recorded appropriately,” said the report.

And it added: “People told us they liked the staff and described them as kind and caring. People told us they were treated with respect and this was confirmed in our observations. People looked clean, comfortable and well groomed.” Meanwhile, there had been no complaints since the CQC’s last inspection in May 2017.