A recent inspection has confirmed that residents at a once-troubled Swindon care home are now receiving 'Good' care.

Downs View Care Centre in Badbury was visited by Care Quality Commission inspectors on March 1 after it had reason to believe that service had improved and subsequently judged it to be Good.  

This was a marked improvement in fortunes for the facility which was placed under special measures in March last year, following a damning report from the care watchdog.

Inspectors found a series of failings that included confidential records not being stored securely, “inaccurate” records being kept and a medicine trolley being left in an unlocked room accessible to residents. 

It also found that a diabetic resident was hospitalised with hyperglycemia when the service stopped providing diabetic diets. 

Read More: Downs View Care Centre rated inadequate in damning CQC report.

At the time the manager stepped down after inspectors said people at the home were not safe and “at risk of avoidable harm” and an experienced manager was appointed in their place. 

Since then the home has been steadily making improvements and was rated Requires Improvement in September before improving again to get the Good rating during the most recent inspection. 

Residents were asked about their experience at the home and all responded positively. 

One said: "We all get on well, a nice group of people (carers and residents). You share any problems you might have. I enjoy talking to any of them. The staff are very caring, decent people. I've never seen anyone being horrible: they are kind."

Another person told the CQC: "Staff are patient and seem to have time to look after me. I can have a laugh and they joke with me."

The report added that "people were encouraged to be as independent as possible" and the home offered access to a range of activities both inside the home and in the community.

The activities were based on people's individual needs and preferences. They included arts and crafts, fitness, knitting, playing dominos, and outings.

"For example, a person who had not been out for years, was keen to go to the shops, so the coordinator arranged a wheelchair taxi to the nearby town," the CQC said. 

It concluded that: "All aspects of the service were regularly audited. There was a positive, person-centred approach to the planning and provision of people's care. People, their relatives and staff all spoke positively about the management of the service."