CARE homes in the borough have been ranked as the third most improved in the UK in the last year.

The percentage of residential care homes rated “Good” by healthcare regulator, the CQC, has shot up from 55 to 82 in the last 12 months.

Wigan Council has undergone a care home reform since 2016 to the improve quality and service of providers.

Wigan Council’s community scheme The Deal has also been praised for improvements to the care homes.

Stuart Cowley, director for adult social care and health at the council, said: “This fantastic result has been achieved through developing great relationships with providers based on shared goals and values.

“Our providers have absolutely embraced The Deal and our different way of working and it is clearly having a positive impact.

“We are so proud of our care homes and the high standards they strive to achieve.

“When we launched The Deal our priority was to give everyone the opportunity to retain their independence and connect into the community while experiencing the best care.

“Working in partnership with our providers we all share the vision to buck the national trend and have the highest standards of care in Wigan for our residents.”

The local authority has invited care providers to bid for a slice of its £2m Innovation Fund to make them fit for the future.

The investment has been made available to address issues such as the ageing population and retaining staff members.