A CARE home has been told to improve by the health watchdog – but has been taken out of special measures.

Greenways Care Home in Victoria Road, Southwick, cares for 13 people aged 65 and over.

In February it was rated “inadequate” – the lowest possible rating – by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and put into special measures.

Inspectors found residents felt they could not leave the building and were at risk of burns and scolds from taps.

However, the home’s rating has now been changed to “requires improvement” and taken out of special measures after another inspection on August 5.

The report said: “Following the previous inspection, the provider sent us an action plan.

“This included information about the steps they had taken to make improvements at the home.

“However, due to Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdown on visitors, the progression of their improvements to the environment and access to specific training and support had been delayed.

“The impact of Covid-19 on the service meant that some improvements will need further time to be fully introduced and embedded into everyday practice.”

The service has been given the “requires improvement” rating for each of the three categories – safety, effectiveness and leadership.

Inspectors said the service was still in breach of one regulation after “minor environmental issues” such as cold water not working in a bathroom, a rotten step from the laundry and a broken cistern were found.

However, the CQC praised the home for addressing many issues found in the previous inspection.

The report said: “The provider, who is also the registered manager, and staff worked hard to ensure appropriate infection control procedures for the pandemic were in place to keep people safe.

“This included monitoring temperatures of people, staff and essential visitors daily, increased cleaning and ensuring adequate supplies of PPE were available. Staff completed training in relation to Covid-19.

“The provider and staff team had worked hard to address the areas for improvement following the last inspection.

“Progress was seen but further time however was needed to fully embed these changes into day-to-day practice.

“This service has been in special measures since February.

“The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall. Therefore, this service is no longer in special measures.”