A care home in Radcliffe has been told it must improve after an inspection by the healthcare watchdog.

Hollybank Care Home on Bolton Road was given an overall rating of "requires improvement" following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in April.

The report, published in June, details findings made by inspectors who gave the care home a rating of "requires improvement" in two out of three areas in which it was assessed.

Following a previous inspection carried out across July and August 2019, the service was rated as "good" in every area in which it was assessed.

According to inspectors, the service was not always safe or well led but was rated "good" for responsiveness, meaning the home provided evidence that it effectively met the needs of its residents.

As part of a focused inspection, the CQC assessed safety levels at the care home, including evidence people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm.

It cited some issues with staffing and recruitment.

The CQC report said: “Relevant information and checks were not always completed prior to new staff commencing employment.

“On review of four staff files, we found unexplained gaps in employment for one applicant, references, were undated and unsigned and one reference was from a family member."

However, inspectors noted that management and administrations of oral medicine was done safely and were assured that infection control and prevention had been carried out effectively, including meeting shielding and social distancing rules.

In the same inspection, the CQC also looked for evidence "that service leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care, supported learning and innovation, and promoted an open, fair culture".

In the report, inspectors found the service management and leadership was "inconsistent" and leaders did not always "support the delivery of person centred care".

The report added: “We looked at the additional monitoring checks completed to help maintain people's well-being, such as food and fluid charts and repositioning.

"These were reviewed monthly by the registered manager.

"However, where shortfalls were identified, we saw no evidence action had been taken to resolve the issues.

“We found no evidence that people had been harmed however, systems were either not in place or robust enough to demonstrate clear management and oversight of the service."

However, CQC inspectors found that responsiveness at the care home remained "good" and were satisfied that the home met people’s needs.

Inspectors also observed a good relationship between the staff and people.

The report said: “We observed warm, polite interactions between people and staff. Staff clearly understood the individual needs of people and were responsive to people's requests for help.

"People assisted to move with the aid of equipment were seen to be supported in a gentle and respectful manner."

Hollybank Care Home were contacted about the report but declined to give a comment.