An Oldham care home with ‘nice and kind’ staff has been given a good rating by Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors.

Avonleigh Gardens was inspected in December, with the report published on Friday, January 5.

The care home, located on Clyde Street, was found to be ‘good’ in answer to all key questions of whether the service was safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led – the same rating it achieved previously, in 2017.

It’s one level below the top mark of ‘outstanding’.

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The inspection team, made up of a CQC inspector and an ‘expert by experience’ – someone who has personal experience using a care home or caring for someone in one – carried out the unannounced inspection on Monday, December 11.

Inspectors spoke with 10 people who used the care home and two relatives about their experience, as well as two care staff and a chef. They also reviewed three people’s care records and two staff recruitment files.

The team found residents who felt safe, with staff praised as ‘nice and kind’ and ‘lovely’ by residents interviewed.

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Management and staff were praised for protecting residents from the risk of abuse, and staff interviewed said there were ‘always enough staff on shift to support the residents’; these comments were echoed by residents, who said there was ‘always someone to help’.

Food at the care home was also praised, with residents said to be happy with the standard and choice of food and one calling it ‘very nice’.

One resident was less enthusiastic, however, saying: “The food is edible. It's very difficult to get food right for so many people, but it's OK.”

The care home was also praised for its ‘clear, bold signage’ with residents’ names and pictures on them, helping those with sight or memory problems find their way around.

While residents and relatives were said to know how to complain if they needed to, inspectors found no complaints had been made.

Care home management was praised by staff, with one staff member calling it a ‘brilliant place to work’, saying they had returned to work at the care home after working there previously.

The full report can be read on the CQC website.

If you have a story, I cover the whole borough of Oldham. Please get in touch at jack.fifield@newsquest.co.uk or click to send me a message on WhatsApp or on Signal on 07517566383.